HCA’s Parallon Business Solutions has named Ed Jones president and CEO for its Health Trust Purchasing Group and Parallon Supply Chain Solutions companies. Jones, a longtime HCA employee, had been the COO for these entities and had been filling the CEO slot on an interim basis since the May retirement of former President and CEO Jim Fitzgerald.

“Under his leadership, Health Trust and Parallon Supply Chain Solutions will continue to pursue market opportunities that deliver on our promise of providing customer-focused cost solutions,” said Parallon’s President and CEO Michael O’Boyle.

Jones, who has worked in HCA’s purchasing division for more than 30 years, will report directly to O’Boyle and will be responsible for the overall financial and operational functions of HealthTrust’s $20 billion global group purchasing portfolio.

In June, Parallon was selected by LifePoint to provide a portion of the nonclinical business functions for all of the hospital owner’s facilities across the country including Nashville. The company was formally organized in the spring of last year.