Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., will name its new college of medicine in honor of Dr. Thomas Frist Jr., MD, co-founder of HCA Healthcare and former U.S. senator, the university said May 3.
Additionally, Nashville-based HCA's TriStar Health will provide residencies and clinical rotations for medical school students.
News of the medical school's naming comes after Belmont University announced last October that it will launch a new medical school in partnership with HCA, a major for-profit hospital operator.
"We have exceedingly high aspirations for this new college of medicine. We know that we will have to earn a world-class reputation over time, but we intend to deliver a world-class learning environment beginning on day one with outstanding faculty, staff, students, physical resources and clinical experiences," Belmont President Bob Fisher, PhD, said in a news release.
He added that naming the new medical school in honor of Dr. Frist, a heart and lung transplant surgeon, "signals our determination to create an innovative, entrepreneurial approach to compassionate, patient-centered care."
HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen said he has looked up to Dr. Frist throughout his 38-year HCA career and described him as a thoughtful businessman, as well as someone with compassion for others who leads by example.
Learn more about Dr. Frist here.