Marilyn B. Tavenner joins the board of LifePoint Hospitals Inc.

Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Hospitals Inc. has named Marilyn B. Tavenner, the former administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to its board of directors.

Before joining President Barack Obama's administration in 2010, Tavenner was Virginia secretary of health and human resources under Gov. Tim Kaine.

LifePoint has six hospitals in Virginia, including Clinch Valley Medical Center in Richlands, Danville Regional Medical Center,

Fauquier Health in Warrenton, Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County, Twin County Regional Healthcare in Galax and Wythe County Community Hospital in Wytheville.

Tavenner’s leadership roles at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began in 2010 when she was named principal deputy administrator. She became acting administrator in 2011 and then administrator in 2013. She resigned in February.

Before becoming secretary of health and human resources, Tavenner was an executive for Hospital Corporation of America. She was president of HCA’s Outpatient Services Group from 2004 to 2006. Before that, Tavenner served as a division president, market president, hospital CEO and director of nursing for HCA.

She began her health-care career as a nurse in Richmond.