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 .

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