HealthSpring announced late Wednesday that Rusty Hailey has joined the company as its new president of pharmaceutical operations.

In this role, Hailey will be responsible for all of the company’s Medicare Part D operations, “including its national stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan.”

Prior to joining HealthSpring, Hailey spent 15 years with publicly traded Maryland-based managed care organization Coventry Health Care. There, he served in a variety of roles, including chief pharmacy officer. Additionally, he spent 12 years with pharmaceutical company SmithKlineBeecham.

Shares of Franklin-based HealthSpring (Ticker: HS) rose about 1 percent Wednesday but are down about 50 percent year to date.