Chair, The Nature Conservancy Global Board; Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader; Heart Transplant Surgeon

Nashville, TN, USA
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William Frist Biography

Senator William H. Frist, M.D., is recognized for his dual career in medicine and public service, having served as a heart and lung transplant surgeon and as a leader in the United States Senate. Frist studied health policy at Princeton University, graduated from Harvard Medical School, and completed surgical fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital and Stanford, where he trained under Norman Shumway, a pioneer in heart transplantation. Following his fellowship, Frist joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he established a heart and lung transplantation program and performed the first heart-lung transplant in the Southeast. He later founded the Vanderbilt Transplant Center, which has become a leading institution for heart transplants.

Frist was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first physician in decades to serve in that body. He was chosen as Senate majority leader after serving fewer years in Congress than any previous leader. Representing Tennessee, Frist served on the Health and Finance committees, contributing to significant health legislation, including the Medicare Modernization Act and the PEPFAR initiative, which expanded global access to HIV/AIDS treatment. He became a Senate expert on bioterrorism following the September 11 attacks and the anthrax incidents. Frist has been recognized among the most influential figures in American health care and consistently ranked in Modern Healthcare Magazine’s surveys of powerful health care leaders.

As founder of the Vanderbilt Multi-Organ Transplant Center, Frist performed more than 150 heart and lung transplants, authored over 100 peer-reviewed medical articles, and published seven books, including "Transplant: A Heart Surgeon's Account of the Life-and-Death Dramas of the New Medicine," "When Every Moment Counts: What You Need to Know About Bioterrorism from the Senate's Only Doctor," and "A Heart to Serve: The Passion to Bring Health, Hope, and Healing." He has held academic appointments as Frederick H. Schultz Professor of International Economic Policy at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and as University Distinguished Professor of Business and Medicine at Vanderbilt University.

Frist has participated in global medical missions and international relief efforts, providing medical aid in sub-Saharan Africa and responding to natural disasters. He serves as chairman of Hope Through Healing Hands, which addresses maternal and child health and global poverty, and SCORE, an education reform organization in Tennessee. Frist is also co-chair of the Health Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center and co-founder of Aspire Health.

Frist chairs The Nature Conservancy’s Global Board of Directors and is a founding partner of Frist Cressey Ventures. He also chairs the Distinguished Executives Council at Cressey & Company, a health service investment firm. He launched the "A Second Opinion" podcast, which explores healthcare policy, medicine, and innovation. Frist is a national speaker on health reform, government policy, global health, education reform, and volunteerism, drawing on his experience in medicine, public policy, and community service.

BOOK William Frist

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/13/2026.

William Frist Videos

Bill Frist - Aspen Ideas: Health 2023

Bill Frist - Aspen Ideas: Health 2023

Twenty years ago, under the administration of George W. Bush, the US government established the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief...

Bill Frist - Amanpour and Company

Bill Frist - Amanpour and Company

Bill Frist has worked as both a surgeon and a senator, as the former Senate Majority Leader from Tennessee, and raised the alarm about preparing for...

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  • What topics does William Frist speak about?

    William Frist is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Digital Health, Education, Government, Health & Wellness, Healthcare, Heart Health, HIV & AIDS, Innovation, Medicine, Overcoming Adversity, Political, Public Health, TED
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William Frist is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book William Frist for your event is available upon request. William Frist generally travels from Nashville, TN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Giovanni Colella, Ben Goldacre, Dr. Joel Selanikio, Marty Makary and Bobby Mukkamala. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling William Frist for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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