The Blackstone Group, the listed, New York-based buyout firm, added a big name from the healthcare space to its ranks with the appointment of former Bayer Healthcare AG executive Arthur Higgins.

Higgins, in addition to serving as chairman of Bayer, worked for Bristol-Myers, Sandoz, Fisons and Abbott Laboratories before taking on a chief executive role with Enzon Pharmaceuticals in 2001.

With Blackstone, Higgins will work alongside Lodewijk de Vink and Doug Rogers on the Blackstone Healthcare Partners private equity team. Calls seeking comment were not acknowledged by press time.

Lately, private equity firms have increasingly sought out new senior leaders to provide strategic guidance at a time when valuing businesses and completing deals have encountered new challenges posed by the recession.

Earlier this week, TowerBrook Capital Partners announced the hire of Fortune Brands veteran Tom Flocco. Last month, KPS Capital Partners bolstered its deal sourcing efforts with the addition of Gores Group pro Daniel Gray.

Increasingly, private equity has sought to find ways into the healthcare space following the passage of landmark legislation aimed at expanding Americans’ access to healthcare.

Earlier this year, Providence Equity Partners took Virtual Radiologic private through a $294 million deal. Additionally, a week prior, Summit Partners made a minority-stake play to invest in Ob/Gyn services company OB Hospitalist Group. A SEC filing revealed the investment was valued at $17.4 million. Thomas H. Lee Partners, the Boston private-equity firm, announced it would buy inVentiv Health Inc. for $1.1 billion, while Cerberus Capital Management agreed to take over Caritas Christi Health Care.