HMA Chosen by Catholic Health Partners to Negotiate Exclusively for a Definitive Agreement to Acquire Seven Tennessee Hospitals

NAPLES, Fla. -- Health Management Associates, Inc. (NYSE: HMA) today announced that it has been chosen by Catholic Health Partners to negotiate exclusively toward a definitive agreement to acquire seven East Tennessee hospitals from its subsidiary, Mercy Health Partners - Tennessee.

"We are very pleased to have been chosen by Catholic Health Partners from among multiple bidders to continue our negotiations on an exclusive basis to seek to execute a definitive agreement for the acquisition of these outstanding hospitals," said Gary D. Newsome, President and Chief Executive Officer of Health Management. "Throughout this process, we have been very impressed with the commitment to high quality care being delivered by the physicians, medical professionals and hospital staffs in their respective communities. We look forward to the next step in this process - the negotiation of a binding agreement that will allow us the opportunity to enable America's best local health care in the East Tennessee region."

Health Management enables America's best local health care by providing the people, processes, capital and expertise necessary for its hospital and physician partners to fulfill their local missions of delivering superior health care services. Upon completion of the previously announced 112-bed Tri-Lakes Medical Center, Health Management, through its subsidiaries, will operate 60 hospitals, with approximately 9,000 licensed beds, in non-urban communities located throughout the United States.

All references to "Health Management," "HMA" or the "Company" used in this release refer to Health Management Associates, Inc. and its affiliates. 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are identified by words such as "expects," "estimates," "projects," "anticipates," "believes," "plans," "could," "seek" and other similar words. All statements addressing operating performance, events or developments that Health Management Associates, Inc. expects or anticipates will occur in the future, including but not limited to projections of revenue, income or loss, capital expenditures, earnings per share, debt structure, bad debt expense, capital structure, repayment of indebtedness, other financial items and operating statistics, statements regarding the plans and objectives of management for future operations, innovations, or market service development, statements regarding acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures and other proposed or contemplated transactions (including but not limited to statements regarding the potential for future acquisitions and perceived benefits of acquisitions), statements of future economic performance, statements regarding the effects and/or interpretations of recently enacted or future health care laws and regulations, statements of the assumptions underlying or relating to any of the foregoing statements, and other statements which are other than statements of historical fact, are considered to be "forward-looking statements.

Because they are forward-looking, such statements should be evaluated in light of important risk factors and uncertainties. These risk factors and uncertainties are more fully described in Health Management Associates, Inc.'s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, under the heading entitled "Risk Factors." Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of Health Management Associates, Inc.'s underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could vary materially from those currently anticipated. In addition, undue reliance should not be placed on Health Management Associates, Inc.'s forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Health Management Associates, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update or publicly announce any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.