Document:

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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.7

                                                                  EXECUTION COPY

                         PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT

                  PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT dated as of December 11, 2002
(the "Agreement"), by and between ARDENT HEALTH SERVICES LLC, a Delaware limited
liability company (the "Company") and WCAS MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, a New York
corporation ("WCAS").

                  WHEREAS, WCAS has provided substantial financial and
management consulting services to the Company in connection with arranging for
the investments made by certain persons as described in Part A, Part B and Part
C of Annex I, and the Company is willing to compensate WCAS for such services as
provided herein;

                  NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and WCAS hereby agree as follows:

                  1.       Investment Fee. (a) Concurrently with the first
closing of the sale of common units ("Common Units") by the Company pursuant to
the transactions referenced in Part A of Annex I, the Company shall pay at such
closing to WCAS an investment fee in immediately available funds equal to one
percent (1%) of the aggregate cash consideration to be paid to the Company over
one or more closings.

                  (b) Concurrently with the first closing of the sale of Common
Units by the Company pursuant to the transactions referenced in Part B of Annex
I, the Company shall pay at such closing to WCAS an investment fee in
immediately available funds equal to one percent (1%) of the aggregate cash
consideration to be paid to the Company over one or more closings.

                  (c) Concurrently with the closing of the sale of Common Units
by the Company pursuant to the transactions referenced in Part C of Annex I, the
Company shall pay at such closing to WCAS an investment fee in immediately
available funds equal to one percent (1%) of the total cash consideration to be
paid to the Company at such closing.

                  2.       Independent Contractor. The Company and WCAS agree
that any and all services provided in connection with this Agreement by WCAS
were provided by such party as an independent contractor, and neither WCAS nor
any of its respective directors, officers, or employees shall be considered
employees or agents of the Company as a result of this Agreement.

                  3.       Expenses. The Company will pay the fees and expenses
of WCAS and its affiliates, on or prior to the applicable closing date, incurred
in connection with each funding transaction set forth in Part A and Part B of
Annex I and any additional fees and expenses incurred by WCAS and its affiliates
in connection therewith (including, without limitation, in each case, the fees
and expenses of Reboul, MacMurray, Hewitt & Maynard).

                  4.       Entire Agreement: Modification. This Agreement (a)
contains the complete and entire understanding and agreement of the Company and
WCAS with respect to the subject matter hereof; and (b) supersedes all prior and
contemporaneous understandings,

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conditions and agreements, oral or written, express or implied, respecting the
subject matter hereof.

                  5.       Waiver of Breach. The waiver by either party of a
breach of any provision of this Agreement by the other party shall not operate
or be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach of that provision or any
other provision hereof.

                  6.       Assignment. Neither party hereto may assign such
party's rights or obligations under this Agreement without the express written
consent of the other party hereto.

                  7.       Successors. This Agreement and all the obligations
and benefits hereunder shall inure to the successors and permitted assigns of
the parties.

                  8.       Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed and
delivered by each party hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so
executed and delivered shall be deemed an original and both of which taken
together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

                  9.       Choice of Law. This Agreement shall be governed by,
and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of New
York.

                                    ********

                            [Signature Page Follows]

                                       2
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                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and WCAS have caused this
Professional Services Agreement to be duly executed and delivered on the date
and year first above written.

                       ARDENT HEALTH SERVICES LLC

                       By: /s/ David T. Vandewater
                           ----------------------------------------
                           Name: David T. Vandewater
                           Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

                       WCAS MANAGEMENT CORPORATION

                       By: /s/ Jonathan M. Rather
                           ---------------------------------------
                           Name: Jonathan M. Rather
                           Title: Treasurer

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                                     ANNEX I

                             SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

Part A

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
          DESCRIPTION OF INVESTMENT                                                   CONSIDERATION
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                                  <C>
Purchase by Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe IX, L.P. ("WCAS IX") and certain
      affiliates and FFC Partners II, L.P. and related entities ("FFC") of up
      to an aggregate additional 36,666,666 Common Units pursuant to a
      Subscription Agreement, dated as of December 11, 2002 (the "Subscription
      Agreement"), among the Company, WCAS IX and FFC, and the several other
      purchasers named therein.                                                      $164,999,997.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         TOTAL CONSIDERATION                                                         $164,999,997.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

Part B

                            DESCRIPTION OF INVESTMENT

Purchase by BancAmerica Capital Investors I, L.P. ("BA") of Common Units
     pursuant to the Subscription Agreement (as amended by the terms of a
     joinder agreement entered into by BA), or as otherwise set forth in a
     separate subscription agreement entered into by the Company, BA and any
     other parties named therein, relating to the sale of Common Units.

Part C

                            DESCRIPTION OF INVESTMENT

Purchase by existing members of the Company and certain members of management of
     the Company of Common Units.<PAGE>

                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.8

                         WELSH, CARSON, ANDERSON & STOWE

                                 320 PARK AVENUE

                                   SUITE 2500

                         NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022-6815

                                                                  TELEPHONE NO
                                                                  (212) 893-9500
                                                                  FACSIMILE NO
                                                                  (212) 893-9575

January 30, 2002

Mr. David T. Vandewater
425 Jackson Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37205

         RE:      RELATIONSHIP WITH ARDENT HEALTH SERVICES LLC (THE "COMPANY")
                 AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE CORPORATION ("BHC")

Dear David,

         As you recall, when Ed Stack resigned from BHC (the predecessor to the
business of the Company), BHC recruited you to provide operational and
managerial oversight as BHC's Chairman of the Board and President. During this
time, Vencor was auctioning its BHC ownership interest. On or about May 1, 2001
when Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe IX, L.P. ("WCAS") acquired a controlling
interest in BHC from Vencor, BHC's Board appointed you to be President and CEO
of BHC. In conjunction with the formation of the Company in August 2001 and the
restructuring of BHC, you became the President/CEO of the Company. During your
involvement with the Company and BHC, we have spoken on several occasions
regarding your compensation package and discussed many alternatives and options.
These conversations occurred on behalf of WCAS regarding your cash investment in
the Company and then on behalf of the Company's Board regarding your employment
and compensation. Accordingly, I want to take this opportunity to memorialize
both WCAS's and the Company's understanding of your relationship with the
Company.

         Pursuant to our discussions to bring you into this venture, you agreed
to invest $2,000,000.00 on substantially the same basis as WCAS as part of your
commitment to the ongoing future of the Company, except that your entire
investment was for the purchase of common membership units of the Company and
you were not asked to fund additional amounts as part of WCAS's future financial
commitments to the Company under the Subscription Agreement or any other equity
infusion. We acknowledge that your investment was funded in full in September
2000 and that you are entitled to the rights as a holder of common membership
units set forth in the Company's LLC Agreement.

<PAGE>

Furthermore, as part of your participation in this enterprise, WCAS agreed to
cause the Company to adopt, and the Company has adopted, an option plan
reserving a pool of options equaling 12% of the outstanding common units, fully
diluted, for option grants to Company management, including you, in accordance
with the plan. The Company will grant you options, out of the option pool, to
allow you to purchase 4% of the total common equity of the Company, computed
from time to time on a fully diluted basis (the "4% Anti-dilution Feature").
Your options will be adjusted, as appropriate, for any reclassification, split,
dividend, combination, subdivision, conversion, or similar issuance of equity
interests of the Company. The 4% Anti-dilution Feature will terminate upon the
earlier to occur of the closing of an initial public offering by the Company of
its equity securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
with net cash proceeds to the Company of at least $75,000,000 (a "Qualified
IPO") or a change of control of the Company. Your initial option grant will be
4% of the total common equity of the Company, assuming WCAS has funded in full
its commitment under its Subscription Agreement with the Company, subject to
claw-back if some lesser amount is funded. The strike price for your initial
option grant will be $3.43, the same price that WCAS invested all its monies
under its Subscription Agreement with the Company. If any additional equity is
invested in the Company prior to the expiration of the 4% Anti-Dilution Feature,
your strike price for any additional options granted pursuant to the option plan
resulting from this additional equity investment will be at the same price per
common unit that the additional equity is invested.

         Regarding your relationship with the Company, during your employment by
the Company or any of its subsidiaries you will be the President and CEO of the
Company and a member of the Board with compensation to be reviewed annually
starting at $350,000.00. You will be eligible for a bonus each year based on the
bonus plan adopted by the Board. Your participation level will be at 100% of
your salary for the year in which the bonus threshold is achieved, subject to
any withholdings as set forth in the plan. The Company will also purchase a
five-year life insurance policy of five million dollars for a beneficiary
designated in your sole discretion. You will receive the normal and customary
employment benefits provided in the Company's benefit plans, except that the
Company will provide a disability benefit to you which will provide for 100% of
your annual salary upon the onset of a permanent disability as defined in and
pursuant to the Company's disability plan. Assuming you continue to be employed
by the Company at the time the Company has a Qualified IPO, the Company will
offer you a five-year employment agreement, on such terms as may be agreed.

         The arrangements described in this letter shall exist while you are an
employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and shall cease to exist upon
the termination of your employment.

<PAGE>

         If you agree that the terms set forth above accurately state our
arrangement, please sign below and return a copy to me for inclusion in your
employment file with the Company. If you disagree with any of the above or
believe that other terms should be included, please call me to discuss.

Very truly yours

/s/ D. Scott Mackesy
------------------------
D. Scott Mackesy,
Manager, Ardent Health Services LLC
General Partner, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe IX, L.P.

cc:      Russell L. Carson, Chairman Ardent Health Services LLC
         Stephen C. Petrovich, General Counsel and Secretary

                                                  /s/ David T. Vandewater
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                  David T. Vandewater

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