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Community Health Systems, Inc. Announces Execution of Affiliation Agreement with Spokane, Washington-Based Multi-Specialty Clin

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^{Published in Health and Fitness on Thursday, December 24th 2009 at 4:10 GMT by Market Wire}  

FRANKLIN, Tenn.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Community Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CYH) announced today that a subsidiary has entered into an affiliation agreement with Rockwood Clinic, P.S., a multi-specialty clinic with 32 locations across the Inland Northwest region of the State of Washington. The transaction is subject to normal closing conditions and is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.

"We look forward to working with Rockwood Clinic's leadership, physicians, other medical providers and employees to develop an integrated healthcare delivery system that will expand and further enhance the quality of healthcare services available to residents of the Inland Northwest region"

Rockwood Clinic employs over 1,100 employees, including 220 physicians and mid-level providers, offering care in more than 30 medical specialties. The affiliation agreement will lay the groundwork for a new, fully integrated healthcare delivery system that will include hospital services; primary care and specialty medicine physician practices; ambulatory surgery centers; urgent care facilities; outpatient physical therapy centers and outpatient imaging. Two Community Health Systems, Inc. affiliated hospitals, Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane and Valley Hospital and Medical Center in Spokane Valley, will serve as cornerstones for the new system.

"We look forward to working with Rockwood Clinic's leadership, physicians, other medical providers and employees to develop an integrated healthcare delivery system that will expand and further enhance the quality of healthcare services available to residents of the Inland Northwest region," said Wayne T. Smith, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Health Systems, Inc.

Located in the Nashville, Tennessee, suburb of Franklin, Community Health Systems, Inc. is the largest publicly-traded hospital company in the United States and a leading operator of general acute care hospitals in non-urban and mid-size markets throughout the country. Through its subsidiaries, the Company currently owns, leases or operates 122 hospitals in 29 states with an aggregate of approximately 18,000 licensed beds. Its hospitals offer a broad range of inpatient and surgical services, outpatient treatment and skilled nursing care. In addition, through its QHR subsidiary, the Company provides management and consulting services to over 150 independent non-affiliated general acute care hospitals located throughout the United States. Shares in Community Health Systems, Inc. are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "CYH."

Statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.Actual future events or results may differ materially from these statements. Readers are referred to the documents filed by Community Health Systems, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the most recent filings which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including execution of our growth, acquisition, and business strategies.These and other applicable risks are summarized under the caption "risk factors" in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.