Jennings named CEO of Tenn. operations for Mountain States

Mountain States Health Alliance, Johnson City, Tenn., said it has expanded the duties of one of its executives and added a new CEO position at its flagship hospital. Candace Jennings is now senior vice president and CEO of Tennessee operations for the system. Formerly, Jennings was senior vice president and CEO of Mountain States' Washington County, Tenn., operations, overseeing three hospitals. The Washington County position has been eliminated, a spokesman said. Jennings, whose age was not available, joined Mountain States as chief operating officer of Washington County operations in 2007.

With Jennings' duties expanded, Mountain States has hired Bradley Nurkin as CEO of one of the three Washington County hospitals, Johnson City (Tenn.) Medical Center. Nurkin, 37, has worked for investor-owned Health Management Associates, Naples, Fla., for the past 11 years at hospitals in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Pennsylvania. Before that, he worked for what is now known as Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Memphis, Tenn. Nurkin earned a bachelor's degree in political science from North Carolina State University, Raleigh, and a Master of Health Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.