Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Hca Healthcare
Search every verified Thomas Frist interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Thomas Frist, Jr., co-founder of HCA Healthcare, has spoken about his family's philanthropic and civic involvement in Nashville. In a 2021 discussion about the founding of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Frist recalled that he became involved after a 1990 lunch with Ida Cooney, who urged him to start a community foundation. He said the foundation has allowed his family to be "more effective in our charitable giving" and stated that the community is "far better off today" as a result. Frist also noted that some people initially opposed the idea, believing there was no need for a community foundation given existing private and not-for-profit foundations. In a 2015 acceptance speech for the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame, Frist credited his father, Thomas Frist, Sr., and HCA co-founder Jack Massey as role models. He said his father taught him "core values" including integrity and humility, and that Massey taught him "the joy of giving back." Frist described Nashville and Tennessee as "an unbelievably great place for the Frist family" and said he hoped that "along the way we've made the world a little better place for others." In a 2016 video for the Nashville Health Care Council's 20th anniversary, Frist said the council has provided a place for healthcare pioneers to collaborate and that Nashville has become "an important source of new ideas and new technologies" in healthcare.
“The first involvement I had with The Community Foundation was an invitation to a luncheon at the Commerce Union Bank building in the late 1980s.”
“I found out that this was a big nationwide group of organizations... there was one that was very impressive to me — a vignette about a lady who had been a clerk at Bank One all of her life... when she died she left The Community Foundation of Columbus, Ohio three-quarters of a million dollars.”
“We're the largest city in the whole United States that doesn't have a community foundation.”
“We had several people come down speak to us, but we had no money. In fact, we used my office's downtown. And we got started.”
“I think there was some opposition on the part of people who had their own private foundations. And there were also some larger not-for-profit foundations, such as HCA, and I think at the earlier time people felt like there wasn't a need for a community foundation.”
“What we did was to go to these various people and explain to them that we were basically the savings account for this community. I think the biggest breakthrough was when the United Way realized that we were not competition, but we were an accompaniment to that.”
“I'm finding each year that HCA Foundation, the Frist Foundation, the Frist Visual Arts Center and as an individual in my family can find ways to be more effective in our charitable giving by working with and through The Community Foundation.”
“If we didn't have a community foundation today, I would hope Ida Cooney would come back and light that spark... this community is far better off today than it could possibly have been if there hadn't been a community foundation formed.”
“Nashville, Tennessee and the state of Tennessee has been an unbelievably great place for the Frist family; we could never pay back the great indebtedness that this state, this city and this health care community has given to us.”
“I've been fortunate my whole life to have had wonderful people around me — my family, colleagues and friends — and I'm pleased that many are here with us today.”
“From my father I gained a strong set of core values: I learned the importance of — in everything you do — to do it with great integrity and unwavering honesty, to work hard, go the extra mile, and when successes come your way to accept them with humility and give credit to others.”
“From Jack Massie I learned many things and especially the joy of giving back and the importance of thoughtful philanthropy and civic involvement.”
“My father's dedication and selfless approach to medicine is still in the heart and soul of HCA.”
“He also knew — as a practicing physician — what doctors needed best to serve their patients; his expertise and vision, as well as his credibility with his fellow physicians, helped structure HCA to be a patient-centered, physician-driven health care system.”
“While I gladly accept this honor, I must give the credit to them; I thank my family and my wife Trisha — she has been my partner through every step and supported me in countless ways — and my children and grandchildren who have made me so proud.”
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee founder and president Ellen Lehman, former president of National Life ...
Thomas Frist, Jr.'s acceptance speech on behalf of himself and his father, Thomas Frist, Sr., for their inductions into the TN Health Care Hall of Fame on October 12, 2015.
The Nashville Health Care Council celebrates its 20th anniversary. Video features Dr. Tommy Frist (co-founder, HCA), Milton ...
Sign in to search the full transcript archive, filter by topic, and access every quote from Thomas Frist.
The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →