Wednesday, April 25, 2001

Tenet acquires South Fulton Medical Center

South Fulton Medical Center has been acquired by a subsidiary of Tenet Healthcare Corporation.

An official announcement was made April 16 at the hospital, which joins four other hospitals comprising Tenet's greater Atlanta network, with access to important resources that will enhance medical services for the south Fulton community.

"Adding South Fulton Medical Center to the Tenet family is a positive step for the community, the hospital and Tenet," said Reynold J. Jennings, executive vice president of operations, Tenet's Southeast Division. "We look forward to a long and successful stewardship with South Fulton Medical Center and the community it serves."

As a demonstration of commitment to the South Fulton community, Tenet's charitable arm, the Tenet Healthcare Foundation, contributed $10,000 to the Fulton Education Foundation, a south Fulton nonprofit organization that supports the local school system's efforts to provide a high-quality education to area children.

As part of the purchase agreement with South Fulton Medical Center, Tenet has committed to invest $10 million in general improvements as well as an expansion of the hospital's emergency room. Work will begin as soon as plans are completed and approved. Before the acquisition, the hospital had been operating under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy laws.

Tenet has offered employment to all South Fulton employees in their current positions at the same level of wages. "We commend the employees and volunteers of South Fulton Medical Center for their dedication to the hospital and quality patient care during some very trying times," said Gregory H. Burfitt, vice president of operations for Tenet's Southern States Region.

South Fulton Medical Center, a 369-bed acute care hospital in East Point, reported net operating revenues of approximately $85 million for fiscal year 2000. In addition to emergency care, the hospital offers cardiac care, physical and occupational rehabilitation, inpatient oncology, ambulatory surgery and labor and delivery. The hospital also has a level-two neonatal intensive care unit.

Tenet subsidiaries operate four other acute care hospitals in the greater Atlanta area Atlanta Medical Center in downtown Atlanta, North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Spalding Regional Hospital in Griffin, and Sylvan Grove Medical Center in Jackson.

Tenet Healthcare, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates 111 acute care hospitals with 27,380 beds and numerous related health care services. The company employs approximately 104,000 people serving communities in 17 states and services its hospitals from a Dallas-based operations center. Tenet can be found on the World Wide Web at www.tenethealth.com.