He retired in 1994, when HCA and Columbia merged to form Columbia-HCA. In 1997 Bovender was lured out of retirement to be HCA's president and COO.
Flying airplanes was Bovender's hobby, an interest often shared with his son.
Order of Achievement, 2001
Bovender's expertise was in operations management. He had a hands-off approach to management.
In 2001 Bovender was named CEO of HCA and in 2002 was appointed chairman
Bovender served on several private and public boards and was active in the community.
Chief executive officer and chairman, Hospital Corporation of America
Duke University, BA, 1967; MHA, 1969
joined the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) in 1975 as an associate hospital administrator in Pensacola, Florida.
Starting in 1985 Bovender held senior management positions in HCA, and in 1992 he was appointed HCA's executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Jack-O was created in 1995.
Edmund O. Schweitzer Jr. died in 2000.
The "o" in Jack-o'-lantern is a shortened form of "of." So "Jack-o'-lantern" originally meant "Jack of the lantern," referencing a light source made from a carved pumpkin or turnip.