View source for Bill Frist

{{Short description|American politician (born 1952)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Bill Frist
| image               = Bill Frist official photo (cropped)(2).jpg
| caption             = Official portrait, {{circa|1995}}
| office              = [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate Majority Leader]]
| term_start          = January 3, 2003
| term_end            = January 3, 2007
| 1blankname          = Whip
| 1namedata           = [[Mitch McConnell]]
| predecessor         = [[Tom Daschle]]
| successor           = [[Harry Reid]]
| jr/sr3              = United States Senator
| state3              = [[Tennessee]]
| term_start3         = January 3, 1995
| term_end3           = January 3, 2007
| predecessor3        = [[Jim Sasser]]
| successor3          = [[Bob Corker]]
{{Collapsed infobox section begin|Senate positions|titlestyle=border: 1px dashed lightgrey;}}
{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office1             = [[Senate Republican Conference|Leader of the Senate Republican Conference]]
| term_start1         = January 3, 2003
| term_end1           = January 3, 2007
| deputy1             = Mitch McConnell
| predecessor1        = [[Trent Lott]]
| successor1          = Mitch McConnell
| office2             = Chair of the [[National Republican Senatorial Committee|National Republican<br />Senatorial Committee]]
| term_start2         = January 3, 2001
| term_end2           = January 3, 2003
| leader2             = Trent Lott
| predecessor2        = Mitch McConnell
| successor2          = [[George Allen (American politician)|George Allen]]
}}
{{Collapsed infobox section end}}
| birth_name          = William Harrison Frist
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1952|2|22}}
| birth_place         = [[Nashville, Tennessee]], U.S.
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| relatives           = [[Thomas F. Frist Sr.]] (father)
| spouse              = {{ubl |{{marriage|Karyn McLaughlin|1981|2012|end=div}} |{{marriage|Tracy Roberts|2015}}}}
| children            = 3
| education           = [[Princeton University]] ([[Bachelors of Arts|AB]])<br>[[Harvard University]] ([[Doctor of Medicine|MD]])
| signature           = Bill Frist Signature.png
| module              = {{Listen |pos=center |embed=yes |filename=Sen. Bill Frist on the Importance of the U.S. Leadership Against HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003.ogg |title=Frist's voice |type=speech |description=Frist supporting [[President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief|PEPFAR]].<br>Recorded May 13, 2003}}
}}
'''William Harrison Frist''' (born February 22, 1952) is an American physician, businessman, and policymaker who served as a [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] for [[Tennessee]] from 1995 to 2007. A member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], he also served as [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate majority leader]] from 2003 to 2007. Born in [[Nashville, Tennessee]], Frist studied government and health care policy at [[Princeton University]] and earned a [[Doctor of Medicine]] degree from Harvard Medical School. He trained as a cardiothoracic transplant surgeon at [[Massachusetts General Hospital]] and Stanford University School of Medicine, and later founded the Vanderbilt Transplant Center. In the [[1994 United States Senate election in Tennessee]], he defeated incumbent [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] senator [[Jim Sasser]].

After serving as chairman of the [[National Republican Senatorial Committee]], Frist succeeded [[Tom Daschle]] as the Senate Majority Leader. Frist helped pass several parts of President [[George W. Bush]]'s domestic agenda, including the [[Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003]] and the [[Medicare Modernization Act]]. Frist left the Senate in 2007, honoring his pledge to serve no more than two terms.

In his post-Senate career, he serves as chair of the global board of [[The Nature Conservancy]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 16, 2022 |title=Senator Bill Frist Elected Incoming Chair of The Nature Conservancy's Board of Directors |url=https://www.nature.org/en-us/newsroom/senator-bill-frist-incoming-board-chair-tnc/ }}</ref> He is also a founding partner of Frist Cressey Ventures,<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 8, 2023 |title=Frist Cressey Ventures Team |url=https://fcventures.com/team/ }}</ref> a special partner and chairman of the Executives Council of the health service investment firm Cressey & Company,<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 8, 2023 |title=Senator Bill Frist, Special Partner |url=https://www.cresseyco.com/team/bill-frist}}</ref> and co-chair of the Health Project at the [[Bipartisan Policy Center]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 8, 2023 |title=Bill Frist, Senior Fellow, Former Senate Majority Leader, Bipartisan Policy Center |url=https://bipartisanpolicy.org/person/bill-frist/ }}</ref> He currently hosts the ''A Second Opinion [[Podcast]]''<ref>{{cite web | url = https://asecondopinionpodcast.com/ | title = A Second Opinion Podcast | website = asecondopinionpodcast.com/}}</ref> on the intersection of policy, medicine, and innovation.

==Early life and education==
Frist was born in Nashville, Tennessee, the son of Dorothy (née Cate) Frist and [[Thomas F. Frist Sr.|Thomas Fearn Frist Sr]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wargs.com/political/frist.html|title=Ancestry of Bill Frist|website=www.wargs.com}}</ref> He is a fourth-generation Tennessean. His father was a doctor and co-founded the health care business organization which became [[Hospital Corporation of America]] (HCA). Frist's brother, HCA co-founder [[Thomas F. Frist, Jr.]], became chairman and chief executive of HCA in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hcas-ipo-could-be-a-boon-for-hospital-industry-2010-04-15|title=HCA's public offering could be boon for hospitals|first=Russ|last=Britt|date=April 15, 2010|publisher=MarketWatch}}</ref> His other siblings include Robert A. Frist; Dorothy F. Boensch; and Mary F. Barfield.<ref>{{cite news|title=Dr. Thomas Frist Sr., HCA Founder, Dies at 87|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/08/business/dr-thomas-frist-sr-hca-founder-dies-at-87.html|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=June 24, 2015|date=January 8, 1998|last1=Gilpin|first1=Kenneth N.}}</ref>

Frist graduated in 1970 from [[Montgomery Bell Academy]] in Nashville, and then from Princeton University's [[Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs]] in 1974. Frist was a member of [[University Cottage Club]] while he was a student at Princeton.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About the Cottage Club|url=https://www.cottageclub.net/about-cottage-club|access-date=January 3, 2021|website=University Cottage Club|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1972, he held a summer internship with Tennessee congressman [[Joe L. Evins]], who advised Frist that if he wanted to pursue a political career, he should first have a career outside politics.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fox |first=David A. |date=November 9, 1994 |title=" Frist adds Senate seat to achievements list." |url= |work=[[The Tennessean]] |pages=13}}</ref> Frist proceeded to Harvard Medical School, where he received the degree of Doctor of Medicine with honors in 1978.

While he was a [[medical school]] student in the 1970s, Frist acknowledged in his book ''Transplant'' that he performed medical experiments and [[vivisection]] on shelter cats while conducting research at Harvard Medical School. He writes about having succumbed to the pressure to succeed in a highly competitive medical school, acknowledging it was "a heinous and dishonest thing to do."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Frist |first=Bill |title=Transplant: A Heart Surgeon's Account of the Life-And-Death Dramas of the New Medicine |publisher=Atlantic Monthly Press |year=1989}}</ref> This issue became controversial in his first Senate campaign in 1994, and gained national attention after his election to Senate majority leader.<ref>{{cite news|title=First Responder| last=Kranish| first=Michael| work=[[Boston Globe Magazine]]| date=October 27, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021101052043/http://www.boston.com/globe/magazine/2002/1027/coverstory_entire.htm|archive-date=November 1, 2002|url=https://www.boston.com/globe/magazine/2002/1027/coverstory_entire.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| author=Kerr, Gail|title=Kitty-killer label litters Frist resume for president|format=fee required|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/tennessean/access/1766215121.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+12%2C+2006&author=GAIL+KERR&pub=The+Tennessean&edition=&startpage=B.1&desc=Kitty-killer+label+litters+Frist+resume+for+president| date=June 12, 2006| work=[[The Tennessean]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130624213002/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/tennessean/access/1766215121.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+12,+2006&author=GAIL+KERR&pub=The+Tennessean&edition=&startpage=B.1&desc=Kitty-killer+label+litters+Frist+resume+for+president|archive-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref>

==Medical career==
While in medical school, Frist joined the laboratory of W. John Powell Jr. at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1977, where he continued his training in cardiovascular physiology.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=June 19, 2007|title=Former Senator Frist to join Wilson School faculty|url=https://www.princeton.edu/news/2007/06/19/former-senator-frist-join-wilson-school-faculty|website=Princeton University|language=en|access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref> In 1978, he became a resident in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1983, he spent time at [[Southampton General Hospital]], [[Southampton, England]] as a senior registrar in cardiothoracic surgery. He returned to Massachusetts General in 1984 as chief resident and fellow in cardiothoracic surgery. From 1985 until 1986, Frist was a senior fellow and chief resident in cardiac transplant service and cardiothoracic surgery at the [[Stanford University School of Medicine]].<ref name=":0" /> There, he trained under Norman Shumway,<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 24, 2012 |title=Bill Frist: Spurring Health Care Innovation |newspaper=Stanford Graduate School of Business |url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/bill-frist-spurring-health-care-innovation}}</ref> a pioneering surgeon known as the father of heart transplantation.

After completing his fellowship, Frist became a faculty member at [[Vanderbilt University Medical Center]], where he began a heart and lung transplantation program.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|title=Senator Frist Treats Shooting Victims|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/shooting/stories/frist072598.htm|last=Dewar|first=Helen|date=July 25, 1998|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> There, he performed the first heart-lung transplant in the Southeast.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frist |first=Bill |date=October 25, 2017 |title=Hard Cases: Tennessee's First Heart-Lung Transplant |work=LinkedIn |url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tennessees-first-heart-lung-transplant-bill-frist-m-d-/?published=t}}</ref> And in 1990, he performed Tennessee's first single-lung transplant,<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 17, 2014 |title=Milestones of the Vanderbilt Transplant Center's First 25 Years |url=https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2014/06/17/milestones-of-the-vanderbilt-transplant-centers-first-25-years/}}</ref> a notoriously difficult procedure. He also served as a staff surgeon at the Nashville Veterans Administration Hospital. In 1989, he founded the [[Vanderbilt Transplant Center]],<ref name=":1" /> which today performs more heart transplants than any other center in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Matt |first=Batcheldor |date=January 12, 2021 |title=VUMC now leads world in heart transplantation |work=VUMC Reporter |url=https://news.vumc.org/2021/01/12/vumc-now-leads-world-in-heart-transplantation/}}</ref>

In 1991 Frist operated on then–[[Lieutenant Colonel]] [[David Petraeus]] after he had been shot in a training accident at [[Fort Campbell]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Noonan|first=Peggy|date=August 11, 2007|title=Get It Done|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118677581377194488|access-date=May 15, 2020|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> Their paths crossed again when Frist was elected to the Senate and Petraeus rose through the military ranks to General. They later ran the Army 10-miler together in 2002 in Washington, DC.<ref name=passion>{{Cite web |title=A Heart to Serve: The Passion to Bring Health, Hope, and Healing |url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-heart-to-serve-william-h-frist/1112247070 |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=Barnes & Noble |language=en}}</ref>

In 1992, Frist organized a statewide grassroots campaign to return the organ donation card to the Tennessee driver's license and received the Distinguished Service Award from the Tennessee Medical Association for his efforts.<ref name=passion />

In 1995 Frist, then a sitting senator, successfully resuscitated a constituent suffering a heart attack in the Dirksen Senate Office building.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |last=Gorner |first=Peter |date=April 21, 2002 |title=Practicing medicine in Congress |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-04-21-0204210478-story.html |access-date=February 24, 2023}}</ref>

In 1998, Frist administered emergency aid to victims and the shooter in the [[1998 United States Capitol shooting|1998 Capitol Shooting.]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=Clines|first=Francis X.|date=1998-07-25|title=Capitol Hill Slayings: The Overview; Gunman Invades Capitol, Killing 2 Guards|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/25/us/capitol-hill-slayings-the-overview-gunman-invades-capitol-killing-2-guards.html|access-date=2021-09-23|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Frist regularly participated in global medical mission and international relief trips, often with non-profit Samaritan's Purse, providing medical aid in sub-Saharan Africa and taking part in emergency response to hurricanes (Katrina), earthquakes (Haiti), tsunami (Sri Lanka) and famine (Sudan and Ethiopia).<ref name=eb>{{Cite web |date=January 20, 2023 |title=Extended Biography: The Honorable William H. Frist, M.D. |url=http://billfrist.com/extended-biography/}}</ref>

During his 20 years in medicine, Frist performed over 150 heart and lung transplants and authored over 100 peer-reviewed medical articles. He is board certified in both general and heart surgery.<ref name=eb />

==United States senator (1995–2007)==
In 1990, Frist met with former Senate majority leader [[Howard Baker]] about the possibilities of public office. Baker advised him to pursue the Senate and suggested in 1992 that Frist begin preparations to run in 1994. Frist began to build support. He served on the Tennessee governor's [[Medicaid]] Task Force from 1992 to 1993, joined the National Steering Committee of the [[Republican National Committee]]'s Health Care Coalition and was deputy director of the Tennessee [[George H. W. Bush|Bush]]-[[Dan Quayle|Quayle]] 1992 campaign.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

[[File:BillFrist.jpg|thumb|Senate photograph, circa 1990s.]]

During the 1994 election, Frist promised not to serve for more than two terms, a promise he honored.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.volpac.org|title=A Tremendous Personal Honor|date=January 4, 2009|work=VOLPAC|first=Bill|last=Frist|access-date=January 6, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106225914/http://volpac.org/|archive-date=January 6, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

Frist accused his 1994 opponent, incumbent senator Jim Sasser, of "sending Tennessee money to [[Washington, DC]]", and said, "While I've been transplanting lungs and hearts to heal Tennesseans, Jim Sasser has been transplanting Tennesseans' wallets to Washington, home of [[Marion Barry]]." During the campaign he also criticized Sasser for trying to become Senate Majority Leader, claiming that his opponent would be spending more time taking care of Senate business than Tennessee business. Frist won the election, defeating Sasser by 211,062 votes in the [[Republican Revolution|1994 Republican sweep]] of both houses of Congress, thus becoming the first doctor in the Senate since June 17, 1938, when [[Royal S. Copeland]] died.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Frist |first1=Bill |title=Public policy and the practicing medical doctor |url=https://www.annalsthoracicsurgery.org/article/S0003-4975(01)02620-0/fulltext |journal=The Annals of Thoracic Surgery |date=May 2001 |volume=71 |issue=5 |pages=1410–1414 |doi=10.1016/S0003-4975(01)02620-0 |pmid=11383774 |access-date=March 14, 2020|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In his [[U.S. Senate election, 2000|2000 reelection campaign]], Frist easily won with 66 percent of the vote. He received the largest vote total ever by a statewide candidate. Frist's 2000 campaign organization was later fined by the [[Federal Election Commission]] for failing to disclose a $1.44 million loan taken out jointly with the 1994 campaign organization.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E03E5DE1731F931A35755C0A9609C8B63 "FEC Finds that Frist 2000 Violated Law"]. ''The New York Times''. June 1, 2006.</ref> Frist paid a civil fine of $11,000 in a settlement with the FEC.<ref>{{cite web |title=FEC Fines Frist's 2000 Senate Campaign for Violating Campaign Finance Laws |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/fec-fines-frists-2000-senate-campaign-for-violating-campaign-finance-laws |website=foxnews.com |date=March 25, 2015 |publisher=Fox News Network, LLC. |access-date=March 14, 2020}}</ref>

Frist supported the Iraq war while in the Senate; he supported the initial invasion as well as the war during the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)|Iraqi Insurgency]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Bill_Frist_War_+_Peace.htm |access-date=22 February 2021|title=Bill Frist on War & Peace}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/story?id=2484665&page=1 |access-date=22 February 2021|title=Frist Rebuts Report that Claims Iraq War Fuels Terror|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] }}</ref>

Frist first entered the national spotlight when [[U.S. Capitol shooting incident (1998)|two Capitol police officers were shot]] inside the [[United States Capitol]] by [[Russell Eugene Weston Jr.]] in 1998. Frist, the closest doctor, provided immediate medical attention (he was unable to save the two officers, but was able to save Weston). Frist said of that experience, "You’re trained to respond. … In moments like that, you are not a judge, not a jury, you are a physician. It was a tragic incident. I know almost all of the Capitol guards."<ref name="auto"/>

As the only physician in the Senate, Frist served as the [[United States Congress|congressional]] spokesman during the [[2001 anthrax attacks]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Sen. Frist Emerges as 'Chief' Spokesperson During Anthrax Scare |url=https://khn.org/morning-breakout/dr00007611/ |website=khn.org |date=June 11, 2009 |publisher=KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION |access-date=March 14, 2020}}</ref> His book, ''When Every Moment Counts: What You Need to Know About Bioterrorism from the Senate's Only Doctor'', was published following the attacks and provides a question-and-answer format with timely information on responding to biological agents like anthrax.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Frist |first=Bill |title=When Every Moment Counts: What You Need to Know About Bioterrorism from the Senate's Only Doctor |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2003}}</ref>

[[File:With Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) looking on, President George W. Bush signs into law S-3728, the North Korea Nonproliferation Act of 2006, Friday, Oct. 13, 2006, in the Oval Office.jpg|thumb|left|Frist looks on as President [[George W. Bush]] signs the [[North Korea]] Nonproliferation Act of 2006 ({{USPL|109|353}}) into law.]]

Over the course of his 12 years in the Senate, his committee assignments included: Committee on Finance, Committee on Health, Education, and Pensions, Committee on Rules and Administration, Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Committee on Labor and Human Resources, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Committee on Foreign Relations, Committee on Small Business, and Committee on the Budget.

He served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Disability Policy, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on African Affairs, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Public Health and Safety, chairman of the Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space, and chairman of the Budget Committee Task Force on Education.

As the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, he helped Republicans win back the Senate in the [[2002 midterm Congressional elections|2002 midterm election]]. His committee collected $66.4 million for 2001–2002, 50% more than the previous year.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}

===Senate majority leader (2003–2007)===
On December 23, 2002, Frist was elected Senate majority leader.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/20/us/bill-frist-fast-facts/index.html|title=Bill Frist Fast Facts|website=CNN|date=August 20, 2013}}</ref> He became the third-youngest Senate Majority Leader in U.S. history, and had served fewer total years in Congress than any person previously chosen to lead that body.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senator William Frist, M.D. - The Nature Conservancy |url=https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/our-people/senator-william-frist--m-d--/ |access-date=February 24, 2023}}</ref> In his 2005 book, ''Herding Cats, A Lifetime in Politics'', Frist's predecessor, [[Trent Lott]], accused Frist of conspiring to push Lott out of the Senate majority leader post, a charge Frist denied.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ex-Senate leader blames downfall on Frist |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8989917 |work=NBC News |date=August 18, 2005 |access-date=March 14, 2020}}</ref>

====Legislative accomplishments====

In the 2003 legislative session, Frist enjoyed many successes. He was able to push many initiatives through to fruition, including the Bush administration's third major [[tax cut]] and the [[Medicare Modernization Act]] that established [[Medicare Part D]] (the prescription drug benefit for seniors) and the modern-day [[Medicare Advantage]] program.<ref>{{Cite web |title=H.R.1 - Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/1 |access-date=February 24, 2023 |website=Congress.gov |date=December 8, 2003 }}</ref> He also was instrumental in developing and then passing the [[President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief]] (PEPFAR), the historic and unprecedented funding commitment to fight AIDS that has saved the lives of 25 million people globally.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief |url=https://www.state.gov/pepfar/ |access-date=February 23, 2023 |website=U.S. Department of State}}</ref> Motivated to address the AIDS epidemic following his medical mission trips to sub-Saharan Africa, Frist laid the initial groundwork for PEPFAR with legislation he drafted with then-Senator John Kerry (D-MA).<ref>{{Cite web |title=S.2525 - United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2002 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/senate-bill/2525/cosponsors |access-date=January 2, 2023 |website=Congress.gov |date=July 3, 2002 }}</ref> When President Bush made the PEPFAR program a priority of his 2003 agenda, Frist built a bipartisan coalition to secure the legislation's rapid passage.<ref name=passion />

Frist continued to support global health investments during his time as majority leader, and helped shepherd the enactment of the senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005, which made the provision of safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) an objective of U.S. foreign assistance, recognizing a lack of clean water and sanitation as the leading cause of preventable death in the developing world.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frist |first=Bill |date=December 18, 2014 |title=Safe Water: A Currency For Peace |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrist/2014/12/18/safe-water-a-currency-for-peace/?sh=2cb26e9649f9 |access-date=}}</ref>

Following the 2001 anthrax attacks and 2004 ricin attacks, Frist led the Senate to pass the Project BioShield Act,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project Bioshield |url=https://aspr.hhs.gov/AboutASPR/ProgramOffices/BARDA/Pages/Project-Bioshield.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204141059/https://aspr.hhs.gov/AboutASPR/ProgramOffices/BARDA/Pages/Project-Bioshield.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 4, 2021 |access-date=February 24, 2023 |website=HHS.gov}}</ref> a $5.6 billion research effort to develop and acquire medical vaccines and treatments to protect against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frist |first=Bill |date=June 10, 2018 |title=Today's Life-Saving Ebola Vaccine Was Spurred By The 2001 Anthrax And 2004 Ricin Attacks |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrist/2018/06/10/todays-life-saving-ebola-vaccine-was-spurred-by-the-2001-anthrax-and-2004-ricin-attacks/?sh=43796e1a6359 |access-date=}}</ref> In December 2006, during Frist's final month as Senate Majority Leader, Congress passed the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), as a part of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act,<ref>{{Cite web |title=S.3678 - Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/3678 |access-date=February 24, 2023 |website=Congress.gov |date=December 19, 2006 }}</ref> to strengthen BioShield by creating a dedicated agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services focused on the procurement and development of CBRN medical countermeasures. The mechanisms and agencies established by this legislation became vital 14 years later during the COVID-19 pandemic.
[[File:Bill Frist.jpg|thumb|Frist with Sen. Lamar Alexander and Interior Secretary [[Gale Norton]]]]
====Stem cells====

In 2001, President George W. Bush prohibited federal funding of most human embryonic cell research, limiting federal funding only to cell lines from embryos before the date of his announcement. At the time there were believed to be 78 viable lines. Frist supported the President in 2001, but as time progressed, the stem cell lines became less stable and by 2005 only 22 viable lines remained. In 2001, Frist had laid out 10 principles that guided his views on stem cells, which he restated on the Senate floor in 2006.<ref name="Congressional Record Vol. 152, No. 93">{{Cite web |date=July 17, 2006 |title=STEM CELL RESEARCH; Congressional Record Vol. 152, No. 93 |url=https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-152/issue-93/senate-section/article/S7567-9?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22stem+cell%22%7D&s=1&r=1 |access-date=July 12, 2022 |website=Congress.gov}}</ref> He said, "President Bush and I do not differ about the need for strong guidelines governing stem cell research. His policy was generally consistent with the principles I set forth a month before his announcement back in 2001. However, as science has progressed over the last 5 years, we have learned that fewer than the anticipated number of cell lines have proved suitable for research, and I think the limit on cell lines available for federally funded research is too restrictive."<ref name="Congressional Record Vol. 152, No. 93" />  Frist led the Senate to pass on July 18, 2006<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 18, 2006 |title=H.R. 810 (109th): Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/109-2006/s206 |access-date=January 21, 2023 |website=GovTrack}}</ref> the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 810) which would have expanded federal funding for stem cell research to include stem cells derived from embryos created for but not used in fertilization.<ref>{{Cite web |title=H.R.810 - Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-bill/810 |access-date=July 12, 2022 |website=Congress.gov |date=July 19, 2006 }}</ref> The legislation drew criticism from [[James Dobson]] and other Christians,{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} but garnered praise from former First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stolberg |first1=Sheryl |date=July 30, 2005 |title=Senate Leader Criticized and Praised for Stem Cell Shift |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/30/politics/30stem.html |access-date=October 9, 2014}}</ref> H.R. 810 was vetoed by President Bush and Congress failed to override the veto.<ref>{{Cite web |title=H.R.810 - Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-bill/810/actions |website=Congress.gov |date=July 19, 2006 }}</ref>

====Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA)====
Just before Congress adjourned for the 2006 elections, in what politicos call a "midnight drop", Frist inserted the [[Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act]] (UIGEA) clauses into the larger, unrelated [[SAFE Port Act|Security and Accountability for Every Port (SAFE) Act]]. The SAFE Act itself was a late [["must pass" bill]] designed to safeguard ports from terrorist infiltration.<ref>{{cite web |title=The American Conservative |url=http://www.amconmag.com/article/2009/oct/01/00027/ |website=The American Conservative}}</ref> The UIGEA became the basis for the April 15, 2011, US Department of Justice government crackdown and domain name seizure of three of the world's top online poker sites, dubbed "black Friday" in the poker community.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manhattan U.S. Attorney Charges Principals of Three Largest Internet Poker Companies with Bank Fraud, Illegal Gambling Offenses and Laundering Billions in Illegal Gambling Proceeds |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/April11/scheinbergetalindictmentpr.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110419230512/http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/April11/scheinbergetalindictmentpr.pdf |archive-date=April 19, 2011 |access-date=April 17, 2011}}</ref> The DOJ Office of Legal Counsel subsequently issued an opinion in September 2011, stating that the UIGEA applies only to betting on sporting events and contests and not to other types of online gambling.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whether Proposals by Illinois and New York to Use the Internet and Out-Of-State Transaction Processors to Sell Lottery Tickets tTo In-State Adults Violate the Wire Act |url=https://www.justice.gov/olc/2011/state-lotteries-opinion.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010050306/http://www.justice.gov/olc/2011/state-lotteries-opinion.pdf |archive-date=October 10, 2012 |access-date=October 4, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Internet Poker Is Sort of Legal!|first=Joe |last=Palazzolo|date=December 23, 2011 |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/12/23/internet-poker-is-sort-of-legal/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=December 30, 2011 |title=Legal News - What the DOJ's reversal on the Wire Act really means |url=http://calvinayre.com/2011/12/30/legal/dojs-wire-act-reversal-means-barton-bill/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=December 23, 2011 |title=US Department of Justice Says Wire Act Applies Only to Sports Betting - Legal News |url=http://calvinayre.com/2011/12/23/legal/us-department-of-justice-wire-act-applies-only-to-sports-betting/|first=Steven |last=Stradbrooke|website=calvinayre.com}}</ref>

====Schiavo case====

{{Main|Terri Schiavo case}}

In the case of Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman whose husband wanted to remove her gastric feeding tube, Frist opposed the removal. In a 2005 speech delivered on the Senate Floor, he questioned the diagnosis of Schiavo's doctors of Schiavo being in a [[persistent vegetative state]] (PVS): "I question it based on a review of the video footage which I spent an hour or so looking at last night in my office."<ref>{{cite book |last=Frist |first=Bill |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0aFiYpPzsgYC&q=%22I%20question%20it%20based%20on%20a%20review%20of%20the%20video%20footage%20which%20I%20spent%20an%20hour%20or%20so%20looking%20at%20last%20night%20in%20my%20office%22&pg=PA195 |title=Bill Frist: a senator speaks out on ethics, respect and compassion |publisher=Monument Press |year=2005 |isbn=0-9769668-3-2 |location=Washington, D.C. |pages=195}}</ref> After her death, the autopsy showed signs of long-term and irreversible damage to a brain consistent with PVS.<ref>[http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/schiavo/61305autopsyrpt.pdf Medical Examiner's Report on the Schiavo Autopsy] June 13, 2005</ref> Frist defended his actions after the autopsy.<ref>[[Anne E. Kornblut|Kornblut, Anne E.]] (2005). "Schiavo Autopsy Renews Debate on G.O.P. Actions". ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 16, 2005</ref>

====Campaigns and elections====

In a prominent and nationally broadcast speech at the [[2004 Republican National Convention]], Frist highlighted his background as a doctor and focused on several issues related to health care. He spoke in favor of the recently passed [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] prescription drug benefit and the passage of legislation providing for [[health savings account]]s.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

In an impassioned argument for medical malpractice [[tort reform]], Frist called [[personal injury lawyer|personal injury trial lawyers]] "predators": "We must stop them from twisting American medicine into a litigation lottery where they hit the jackpot and every patient ends up paying." Frist has been an advocate for imposing caps on the amount of money courts can award [[plaintiff]]s for [[damages|noneconomic damages]] in [[medical malpractice]] cases.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50446-2004Aug31.html|title=Text: Remarks by Sen. Frist to the Republican National Convention|date=August 31, 2004|newspaper=The Washington Post|publisher=FDCH E-Media, Inc}}</ref>

During the 2004 election season, Frist employed the unprecedented political tactic of going to the home state of the opposition party's minority leader, Democrat [[Tom Daschle]] of [[South Dakota]]. Daschle's Republican opponent, [[John Thune]], defeated Daschle. After  Frist too left the senate, he and Daschle would later work together at the Bipartisan Policy Center and have spoken together frequently at healthcare conventions and events and written numerous joint op-eds on policy issues of bipartisan agreement.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/09/the-bill-frist-rx-081275|work=Politico|last=Norman|first=Brett|date=September 16, 2012|title=The Bill Frist Rx}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 12, 2022 |title=Former Sens. Daschle, Frist: Congress Should Act Now to Prepare for the Next Pandemic |url=https://bipartisanpolicy.org/press-release/former-sens-daschle-frist-congress-should-act-now-to-prepare-for-the-next-pandemic/ |website=Bipartisan Policy Center}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first2=Bill |last2=Frist |first1=Tom |last1=Daschle |date=February 29, 2016 |title=Big-hearted, self-serving and right |work=The Hill |url=https://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/271229-big-hearted-self-serving-and-right/ |access-date=February 24, 2023}}</ref>

[[File:FirstCorkerBakerAlexander.jpg|thumb|right|Frist at the inauguration of his successor [[Bob Corker]] (second left). Along with Tennessee's former senator [[Howard Baker]] (second right), and senior senator [[Lamar Alexander]] (far right).]]
Frist pledged to leave the Senate after two terms in 2006 and did not run for reelection. He campaigned heavily for Republican candidate [[Bob Corker]], who won [[2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee|the race to succeed him]] by a small margin over Congressman [[Harold Ford Jr.]] in the [[Tennessee United States Senate election, 2006|general election]].{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

==Post-Senate career==
===Political involvement===
Frist was mentioned as a potential [[2008 United States presidential election|2008]] Republican presidential candidate and as a potential [[2010 Tennessee gubernatorial election|2010]] Republican candidate for [[Governor of Tennessee]]. Ultimately, he did not run for either office.<ref name="autogenerated1">[https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2006/11/29/frist-decides-against-%e2%80%9908-presidential-bid/ "Frist Decides Against '08 Presidential Bid"], ''The Wall Street Journal'', November 29, 2006.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/011707/frist.html|title=Frist Looking at Governor Run in 2010|first=Sam|last=Youngman|work=The Hill|date=January 18, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210071025/http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/011707/frist.html|archive-date=February 10, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2009/01/frist-out-of-2010-race-017041|title=Frist out of 2010 race|website=POLITICO|date=January 4, 2009 }}</ref>

In 2009, Frist stated that he would have broken with his party by voting in favor of the [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]], which was unanimously opposed by Republicans.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://swampland.time.com/2009/10/02/bill-frist-on-health-bill-id-vote-for-it/|title=Bill Frist on Health Bill: I'd Vote For It|first=Karen|last=Tumulty|magazine=Time|date=October 2, 2009|access-date=January 21, 2012}}</ref> In January 2011, after the Republicans regained a majority in the [[United States House of Representatives|House]], Frist called on them not to attempt to repeal the health care law.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/18/bill-frist-health-care-repeal-gop_n_810345.html | work=Huffington Post | first=Sam | last=Stein | title=Bill Frist: Health Care Is 'Law Of The Land', GOP Should Drop Repeal And Build On It | date=January 18, 2011}}</ref>

===Business career===
In 2008, he became a partner in [[Chicago]]-based Cressey & Co., investing in the nation's health care market. Today, he serves as special partner and chairman of the Executives Council at Cressey.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cresseyco.com/team/bill-frist | title=Senator Bill Frist &#124; Cressey & Company }}</ref>

In 2013, Frist partnered with Brad Smith to start Aspire Health, which grew to be the largest non-hospice community-based palliative care company in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrist/2017/05/30/a-new-model-of-community-care-aspire-health-and-transforming-advanced-illness-care/?sh=181118d8b76a | title=A New Model of Community Care: Aspire Health and Transforming Advanced Illness Care | website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref> before it was acquired by Anthem in 2018.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2018/05/23/anthem-to-buy-advanced-care-provider-aspire-health/?sh=7f02fa794bf7 | title=Anthem to Buy Advanced Care Provider Aspire Health | website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref> The care model was inspired in part by the team-based approach Frist had used in caring for patients awaiting transplants.

In 2015, Frist co-founded Frist Cressey Ventures, a Nashville-based venture capital firm focused on partnering with early-stage healthcare companies. He is an active partner in the firm today.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://fcventures.com/team/ | title=Team }}</ref>

Frist also serves as board chair of Monogram Health, a value-based specialty provider of in-home evidence-based care and benefit management services for patients living with polychronic conditions, including chronic kidney and end-stage renal disease.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.monogramhealth.com/leadership-team | title=Leadership Team }}</ref> Based in Nashville, Tennessee, and privately held by Frist Cressey Ventures and other leading strategic and financial investors, Monogram Health provides care for patients across 34 states and all insurance products.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.monogramhealth.com/press/monogram-health-closes-375m-growth-capital-raise-to-support-continued-expansion-of-innovative-in-home-kidney-and-polychronic-care-model | title=Monogram Health Closes $375M Growth Capital Raise to Support Continued Expansion of Innovative In-Home Kidney and Polychronic Care Model | date=January 9, 2023 }}</ref>

===Philanthropy===
In 2009, Frist launched a statewide education reform nonprofit organization targeting K-12 education called SCORE (State Collaborative on Reforming Education).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tnscore.org/|title=Home|website=SCORE|accessdate=March 7, 2023}}</ref> The organization's mission is to "collaboratively support Tennessee's work to prepare students for college and the workforce." Frist has served as chairman of SCORE's board of directors. As part of SCORE's work, Frist annually presents the State of Education in Tennessee report, a comprehensive look at the state's efforts to improve public education.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wsmv.com/story/20967300/reform-group-to-release-study-on-tn-education |title=Reform group to release study on Tennessee education |access-date=February 14, 2013 |archive-date=June 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618075909/http://www.wsmv.com/story/20967300/reform-group-to-release-study-on-tn-education |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2013, Frist voiced support for higher academic standards in grades K-12, reauthorization of the [[Elementary and Secondary Education Act]], and improving efforts to identify, foster, and reward effective teaching.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://theweek.com/articles/474143/crucial-need-hold-students-higher-standard | title=The crucial need to hold students to a higher standard | website=[[The Week]] | date=July 3, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.politico.com/story/2011/02/come-together-on-education-reform-049081 | title=Come together on education reform | website=[[Politico]] | date=February 9, 2011 }}</ref>

In 2010, Frist served on the six-person board of the [[Clinton Bush Haiti Fund]], which had raised $66 million for immediate [[earthquake]] relief and long-term recovery efforts in the [[Caribbean]] country.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2010/03/22/25560/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319230450/http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2010/03/22/25560/ | archive-date=March 19, 2012 | title=Bolten '76, Frist '74 appointed to serve on Clinton Bush Haiti Fund's Board of Directors - the Daily Princetonian }}</ref>

Frist also founded and chairs Hope Through Healing Hands, a global health non-profit, as well as community health collaborative NashvilleHealth. In 2019 NashvilleHealth completed, in partnership with the Nashville Metro Public Health Department, the first community health and well-being survey of Nashville/Davidson County residents in nearly 20 years.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nashvillehealth.org/survey/ | title=Survey }}</ref> The organization also led a review of Nashville's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, detailing recommendations to improve future crisis response in a report, ''Strategies for Future Preparedness: Examining the Impact of COVID-19 in Nashville''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nashvillehealth.org/covid-response/ | title=Nashville COVID-19 Response Review }}</ref>

===Board service===
Frist has served on numerous public, private, and non-profit boards. He currently serves as chairman of the lllGlobal lllBoard of [[the Nature Conservancy]], a three-year term that began in October 2022, and has been a member of the board since June 2015, previously as vice-chair.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 15, 2022 |title=Senator Bill Frist Elected Incoming Chair of The Nature Conservancy's Board of Directors |url=https://www.nature.org/en-us/newsroom/senator-bill-frist-incoming-board-chair-tnc/}}</ref> He has also served on the non-profit boards of the [[Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]] (2013–2023),<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 8, 2023 |title=The Honorable William H. Frist, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |work=RWJF |url=https://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/leadership-staff/rwjf-board/the-honorable-william-h-frist.html}}</ref> and previously spent 10 years on the board of the [[Kaiser Family Foundation]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 17, 2009 |title=William H. Frist and Gerald Rosberg Appointed to Kaiser Family Foundation Board of Trustees |url=https://www.kff.org/other/press-release/william-h-frist-and-gerald-rosberg-appointed-to-kaiser-family-foundation-board-of-trustees/}}</ref>

Other current board services includes: Aegis Sciences Corporation, Devoted Health, Digital Diagnostics, [[MDsave]], Monogram Health, OneOncology, Select Medical, and [[Teladoc]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 8, 2023 |title=About Bill Frist |url=http://billfrist.com/about/}}</ref> Prior service includes: Accolade, [[URS Corporation|URS Corp]]., and [[AECOM]].<ref name=eb />

He has been a member of the Harvard Medical School Department of Global Health and Social Medicine Advisory Council since 2010, and previously chaired the Harvard Medical School's Board of Fellows<ref name=eb /> and served on Princeton University's board of trustees for fifteen years (1974–1978 and 1991–2001).<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 19, 2007 |title=Former Senator Frist to join Wilson School faculty |url=https://www.princeton.edu/news/2007/06/19/former-senator-frist-join-wilson-school-faculty }}</ref>

Frist has held numerous roles with the [[Smithsonian Institution]], including serving on its board of regents (1997–2007).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frist, William H. (02/22/1952-) |url=https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_11154 |access-date=February 28, 2023 |website=Smithsonian Institution Archives}}</ref> Congress established the Smithsonian in 1846 as "an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge," and vested responsibility for the administration of the Smithsonian in a board of regents, consisting of the chief justice of the United States, the vice president of the United States, three members of the United States Senate, three members of the United States House of Representatives, and nine citizens.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Board of Regents |url=https://www.si.edu/regents |access-date=February 28, 2023 |website=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref> Frist later served on the advisory board of the Smithsonian's [[National Museum of the American Indian]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 14, 2022 |title=Smithsonian Institution (SI) Meeting Minutes of the Advisory Board of the National Museum of the American Indian 2015 |url=https://www.governmentattic.org/44docs/SIminutesABNMAI_2015.pdf}}</ref>

From 2007 to 2010 he served on the board of the [[Millennium Challenge Corporation]], a government corporation established in 2004 to fight global poverty.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/politico-now/2007/10/frist-confirmed-to-anti-poverty-post-003862 | title=Frist confirmed to anti-poverty post | website=[[Politico]] | date=October 26, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mcc.gov/blog/entry/restoring_hope_in_haiti | title=Blog: Restoring Hope in Haiti | work=Millennium Challenge Corporation | date=January 21, 2010 }}</ref>

===Other endeavors===
[[File:WHF Headshot.jpg|thumb|right|Frist in 2009]]
After leaving the U.S. Senate, Frist taught at Princeton and Vanderbilt. From 2007- 2008 Frist served as the Frederick H. Schultz Class of 1951 Visiting professor of International Economic Policy at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frist to speak on global health |url=https://pr.princeton.edu/pwb/07/1203/nn/ |access-date=February 28, 2023 |website=Princeton University}}</ref> teaching with his longtime mentor, renowned healthcare economist [[Uwe Reinhardt]].  From 2009 – 2010, Frist taught as a Distinguished Professor at [[Vanderbilt University]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 14, 2008 |title=Senator Bill Frist to teach MBA & medical students at Vanderbilt |url=https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2008/10/14/senator-bill-frist-to-teach-mba-medical-students-at-vanderbilt-66289/ |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=Vanderbilt University |language=en-US}}</ref> with Congressman [[Jim Cooper]] (D-TN).<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 4, 2005 |title=Rep. Jim Cooper to teach in Vanderbilt's Health Care MBA program |url=https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2005/10/04/rep-jim-cooper-to-teach-in-vanderbilts-health-care-mba-program-59223/ |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=Vanderbilt University |language=en-US}}</ref>

Frist also became a co-chair of One Vote '08, an initiative of the [[ONE campaign]], with former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle (D-SD). According to OneVote.org, "One Vote '08 is an unprecedented, non-partisan campaign to make global health and extreme poverty foreign policy priorities in the 2008 presidential election."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onevote08.org/aboutone.php|title=One Vote '08|access-date=November 11, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081108030251/http://www.onevote08.org/aboutone.php|archive-date=November 8, 2008}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=February 2020}} Frist traveled to Africa for the ONE campaign in July 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.one.org/international/page-not-found/|date=April 2, 2014|website=One|title=ONE campaign|access-date=February 18, 2020|archive-date=November 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115200136/https://www.one.org/international/page-not-found/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Since 2011, Frist has served as a senior fellow at the [[Bipartisan Policy Center]], and is co-chair of the organization's Health Project with former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bill Frist |url=https://bipartisanpolicy.org/person/bill-frist/ |website=bipartisanpolicy.org |publisher=Bipartisan Policy Center |access-date=March 14, 2020}}</ref>

Frist is a trained pilot, a skill he used to annually travel to all 95 Tennessee counties while campaigning and in office.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill Frist -- Aviation |url=http://billfrist.com/aviation/ |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=Bill Frist: Public Speaker, Former Senate Majority Leader and Cardiothoracic Surgeon |language=en-US}}</ref>

An active runner while in the Senate, Frist completed seven marathons from 1998 – 2001.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phillips |first=Angus |date=October 24, 2001 |title=He's Still Just Bill on Capitol Hill |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2001/10/24/hes-still-just-bill-on-capitol-hill/d370d441-0088-4f5f-90e4-387d4bb459d9/}}</ref>

==Books==
In June 1989, Frist published his first book, ''Transplant: A Heart Surgeon's Account of the Life-And-Death Dramas of the New Medicine'', in which he wrote, "A doctor is a man whose job justifies everything&nbsp;... Life [is] a gift, not an inalienable right."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McCabe |first1=Robert E. |title=Transplant: A Heart Surgeon's Account of the Life-and-Death Dramas of the New Medicine |url=https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/380834 |journal=JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association |year=1990 |volume=263 |issue=8 |page=1151 |publisher=American Medical Association |doi=10.1001/jama.1990.03440080142039 |access-date=March 14, 2020|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

With J. H. Helderman, he edited "Grand Rounds in Transplantation" in 1995, which described case studies in kidney, heart, lung, liver, and bone marrow transplantation drawn from Vanderbilt's case load.<ref>{{cite book |isbn=978-0412042713|title=Grand Rounds in Transplantation |last=Helderman |first=J. |date=September 4, 1998 |publisher=Taylor & Francis }}</ref>

In October 1999, Frist co-authored ''Tennessee Senators, 1911–2001: Portraits of Leadership in a Century of Change'' with J. Lee Annis Jr.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Annis |first1=James Lee |last2=Frist |first2=William H. |title=Tennessee Senators, 1911-2001: Portraits of Leadership in a Century of Change |date=1999 |publisher=Madison Books}}</ref>

In March 2002, Frist published, ''When Every Moment Counts: What You Need to Know About Bioterrorism from the Senate's Only Doctor'', sharing practical guidance following the 2001 anthrax attacks on how to stay safe in the event of a bioterrorism attack.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Frist |first=Bill |title=When Every Moment Counts: What You Need to Know About Bioterrorism From the Senate's Only Doctor |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |year=2002}}</ref>

In 2003, Frist and co-author Shirley Wilson released the book, ''Good People Beget Good People: A Genealogy of the Frist Family''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Frist |first1=William H. |last2=Wilson |first2=Shirley |title=Good People Beget Good People: A Genealogy of the Frist Family |date=2003 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield}}</ref>

In October 2009, Frist published ''A Heart to Serve: The Passion to Bring Health, Hope, and Healing''. The book details his family legacy, his experiences as a heart and lung transplant surgeon and a U.S. Senator, and covers several of his medical mission trips in Africa, the process to enact PEPFAR, the 2001 anthrax attacks and SARS, the Medicare Modernization Act, and the 1998 Capitol shooting where he administered care.<ref name=passion />

He coedited with Manish Sethi ''An Introduction to Health Policy'' in 2013.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Sethi | first1=Manish K. | last2=Frist | first2=William H. | title=An Introduction to Health Policy | publisher=Springer | date=2013-08-05 | isbn=978-1-4614-7734-1 }}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 1981, Frist married Karyn McLaughlin. They had three sons: Harrison, Jonathan, and Bryan. The Frist family were members of the [[Presbyterianism|National Presbyterian Church]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] The Frists were divorced in December 2012.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/bill-frist-and-karyn-frist-finalize-divorce-settlement-beach-houses-buffalo-head-and-a-bathroom-door/2012/12/13/85a01312-4568-11e2-9648-a2c323a991d6_blog.html|title=Bill Frist and Karyn Frist finalize divorce settlement: Beach houses, buffalo head and a bathroom door|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 14, 2012}}</ref>

On May 29, 2015, Frist married Tracy Lynne Roberts (b. April 14, 1962).<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Senate leader Bill Frist weds Tracy Roberts|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/wp/2015/06/01/former-senate-leader-bill-frist-weds-tracy-roberts/|website=WashingtonPost.com|access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref> The couple resides in Franklin, Tennessee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stewards |url=https://oldtownfranklin.com/ |access-date=February 28, 2023 |website=Old Town Website}}</ref>

===Finances===
As of 2005, Frist had a fortune in the millions of dollars, most of it the result of his ownership of stock in Hospital Corporation of America, the for-profit hospital chain founded by his brother and father. Frist's 2005 financial disclosure form listed blind trusts valued between $15 million and $45 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050921/NEWS02/509210418|title=None|website=[[The Tennessean]]}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Members of the Frist family have been major donors to Princeton University, pledging a reported $25 million in 1997 for the construction of the Frist Campus Center.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.princeton.edu/~paw/archive_old/PAW97-98/03-1022/1022note.html|title=PAW- October 22, 1997|website=www.princeton.edu}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.princetonspectator.com/news/2001/05/09/Interview/An.Interview.With.Senator.Bill.Frist.74-75174.shtml |title=An Interview with Senator Bill Frist '74 |author1=Ward, Daniel L. |date=May 1, 2009  |work=The Princeton Spectator  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050424210503/http://www.princetonspectator.com/news/2001/05/09/Interview/An.Interview.With.Senator.Bill.Frist.74-75174.shtml |archive-date=April 24, 2005 }}</ref>

Bill and Karyn Frist were the sole trustees in charge of a family foundation bearing the senator's name which had more than $2 million in assets in 2004. He and his siblings were vice presidents of another charitable foundation bearing their parents' names. The status of Frist's [[blind trust]], and subsequent statements about it and activities within it, led to an SEC investigation. He was questioned in 2005 by the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] (SEC) about stock sales allegedly based on inside information.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/23/AR2005092301811.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=SEC, Justice Investigate Frist's Sale of Stock | first1=Jeffrey H. | last1=Birnbaum | first2=R. Jeffrey | last2=Smith | date=September 24, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Davidson|first1=Paul|title=SEC launches formal investigation of Frist|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-09-29-frist-usat_x.htm|access-date= January 10, 2015|work=[[USA Today]]|date= September 29, 2005}}</ref> The investigation was closed after 18 months with no charges were filed.<ref>Carrie Johnson, "Frist Not Charged as Investigators Close Probe of His Hospital Stock Sales". ''[[The Washington Post]]'', [https://web.archive.org/web/20150329175618/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-5878576.html April 27, 2007].</ref> Frist said in a statement, "I've always conducted myself according to the highest ethical standards in both my personal and public life, and my family and I are pleased that this matter has been resolved."<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/26/AR2007042602343.html Frist Not Charged as Investigators Close Probe of His Hospital Stock Sales] Washington Post, April 27, 2007</ref>

==Recognition==

Frist was named one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare by ''Modern Healthcare'' in 2002,<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 26, 2002 |title=100 Most Powerful - 2002 |url=https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20020826/NEWS/208260320/100-most-powerful |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=Modern Healthcare |language=en}}</ref> 2003<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-13 |title=100 Most Influential People in Healthcare – 2003 |url=https://www.modernhealthcare.com/awards/100-most-influential-people-healthcare-2003 |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=Modern Healthcare |language=en}}</ref> and 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2004 |title=100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare - 2004 |url=https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20040823/PREMIUM/408230346/100-most-powerful-people-in-healthcare-list |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=Modern Healthcare |language=en}}</ref>  He was also named to The Time 100: The 2005 list of the world's most influential people by ''Time Magazine.''<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Calabresi |first=Massimo |date=2005-04-18 |title=The 2005 Time 100 |language=en-US |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1972656_1972691_1972898,00.html |access-date=2023-02-28 |issn=0040-781X}}</ref>

In 2001, he received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url= https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#public-service}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2003 |title=2003 Summit Highlights Photo | url= https://achievement.org/summit/2003/|quote= United States Senators John McCain, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Trent Lott, and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle were presented with the Academy's Gold Medal by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in the historic Caucus Room.}}</ref>

In 2003, Frist received Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson Award,<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 22, 2003 |title=Alumni Day Coverage |url=https://pr.princeton.edu/news/alumniday/frist/transcript.shtml |website=Princeton University News}}</ref> which is conferred annually upon an alumnus or alumna of the undergraduate college whose achievements exemplify Woodrow Wilson's memorable phrase, "Princeton in the nation’s service."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Woodrow Wilson Award |url=https://alumni.princeton.edu/our-community/awards/woodrow-wilson-award |access-date=February 28, 2023 |website=Princeton University Alumni}}</ref>

In 2011, he received the [[Albert Lee Ueltschi|Al Ueltschi Award]] for Humanitarian Leadership in recognition of his life-saving efforts worldwide, and the importance of business aviation to those endeavors.<ref>{{cite news|date=2011 |title=Al Ueltschi Award for Humanitarian Leadership| url= https://nbaa.org/about/awards/al-ueltschi-award-for-humanitarian-leadership/}}</ref>

Between 1997 and 2006, Frist received honorary degrees from five [[historically black colleges and universities]], including [[Fisk University]], [[Howard University]], [[LeMoyne-Owen College]], [[Meharry Medical College]], and the [[Morehouse School of Medicine]].<ref name=eb />

==Electoral history==

{{Election box begin | title=1994 United States Senate election in Tennessee<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Campaigns - TN US Senate - R Primary Race - Aug 04, 1994 |url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=6613 |website=www.ourcampaigns.com |access-date=29 March 2023}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (US)
  |candidate  = Bill Frist
  |votes      = 834,226
  |percentage = 56.35
  |change     = +21
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (US)
  |candidate  = [[Jim Sasser]] (incumbent)
  |votes      = 623,164
  |percentage = 42.10
  |change     = -22.99
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
  |winner     = Republican Party (United States)
  |loser      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |swing      =
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=2000 United States Senate election in Tennessee<ref>{{cite web |title=OnPolitics U.S. Senate - TN |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/politics/elections/2000/states/tn/senate/ |website=www.washingtonpost.com |access-date=29 March 2023}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      =  Republican Party (US)
  |candidate  = Bill Frist (incumbent)
  |votes      = 1,255,444
  |percentage = 65.10
  |change     = +8.75
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (US)
  |candidate  = Jeff Clark
  |votes      = 621,152
  |percentage = 32.21
  |change     = -10
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Republican Party (United States)
  |swing      =
}}
{{Election box end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikisource|works=or}}
{{Wikiquote|Bill Frist}}
{{Commons category|Bill Frist}}
* Mark Byrnes: [http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=524 "William H. Frist"]. In: ''[[The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture]]'', December 25, 2009, last updated February 22, 2011
* {{CongLinks | congbio=f000439 | votesmart= | fec= | congress= }}<!-- Links formerly displayed via the {{CongLinks}} template:
* [http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00003147 Financial information (federal office)] at [[Center for Responsive Politics|OpenSecrets.org]]
* -->
*{{C-SPAN|36788}}
* [http://www.hopethroughhealinghands.org/ Hope Through Healing Hands]
* [http://www.tennesseescore.org/ SCORE (State Collaborative on Reforming Education)]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Frist, Bill}}
[[Category:Bill Frist|*]]
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:20th-century Tennessee politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century United States senators]]
[[Category:21st-century Tennessee politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century United States senators]]
[[Category:American Presbyterians]]
[[Category:American surgeons]]
[[Category:Bipartisan Policy Center]]
[[Category:Frist family|Bill]]
[[Category:Harvard Medical School alumni]]
[[Category:HCA Healthcare people]]
[[Category:Intelligent design advocates]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Philanthropists from Tennessee]]
[[Category:Politicians from Nashville, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Presbyterians from Tennessee]]
[[Category:Princeton School of Public and International Affairs alumni]]
[[Category:Republican Party United States senators from Tennessee]]
[[Category:Tennessee Republicans]]
[[Category:Theranos people]]
[[Category:Vanderbilt University faculty]]