A half dozen Nashville-area hospital executives have made it onto the 2009 list of the 100 most powerful people in health care as determined by trade publication Modern Healthcare.

Tops among the six is HCA President and CEO Richard Bracken, who ranked 16th. He is followed at 27th and 57th by Bill Carpenter and Wayne Smith, who lead LifePoint Hospitals and Community Health Systems, respectively.

And toward the bottom of the list are Psychiatric Solutions boss Joey Jacobs, Capella Healthcare CEO Dan Slipkovich and Vanguard Health Chairman and CEO Charlie Martin. They rank 87th, 93rd and 94th, respectively.

Not on this year's list is Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which in recent years was represented by former vice chancellor Harry Jacobson, who retired from his post earlier this summer. Jeff Balser now runs the Midtown medical complex.

Another Tennessee connection high up on Modern Healthcare's list is Nancy Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform and a former Bass Berry attorney and state commissioner of human services.