By DAVID A. FOX

Community Health Systems Inc. (CYH) said Thursday that Wayne Smith, its president and chief executive, has been named chairman of the board.

He replaces Michael Miles, who will remain on the board of the Brentwood operator of 52 hospitals. Mr. Miles was chairman and chief executive of Philip Morris from 1991 to 1994, is a director of Dell Computer Corp., Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Sears Roebuck and Co., Time Warner Inc., Allstate Inc., and the Interpublic Group of Companies. He also is a special limited partner of one of the Forstmann Little partnerships, which took the company private in 1996 and remains a large shareholder.

Community Health shares settled Thursday at $27.25, up $1.25 for the day. Their 52-week range is $13.06-$37.20.