As HCA marks 40 years, its impact on healthcare is still felt

Hospital operator HCA Inc. is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month, and in that time has had a huge impact on the business of healthcare. HCA has been the catalyst behind Nashville's reputation as a "Silicon Valley" of healthcare: As many as 150 companies have been started out of HCA or by alumni of the company, the Nashville Health Care Council estimates. Some analysts also suggest that HCA played an even more important role by taking politics out of the medical equation by unmasking the inefficiencies of some county-owned institutions filled with patronage jobs.