Thomas Frist Jr., a former Air Force flight surgeon, founded Hospital Corp. of America with his father in 1968. He took it public for the third time in 2011 after two management buyouts and owns over 20% of the company. HCA Healthcare owns and operates 187 hospitals and around 2,000 sites of care in 20 states in the U.S. and U.K. Frist Jr. doesn't have an executive position at HCA, but his sons, Thomas Frist III and William Frist, are board members.