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HCA Hospitals Earn Joint Commission Designation as Top Performers on Key Quality Measures

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^{Published in Health and Fitness on Friday, September 16th 2011 at 11:32 GMT by Market Wire}  

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--HCA (NYSE:HCA), one of Americaa™s leading healthcare delivery systems, today announced that 77 of its facilities are among 405 hospitals named to a list of top performers on key quality measures. This list was released by the Joint Commission, the hospital industrya™s primary accrediting body.

"We are proud that HCA hospitals represent nearly one in five of those recognized by the Joint Commission as top performers"

The Joint Commission recognized these hospitals for evidence-based care processes closely linked to positive patient outcomes as demonstrated by attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance. During 2010, these top performing hospitals scored 95 percent or higher on measures that relate to heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, and childrena™s asthma care.Only 14 percent of Joint Commission-accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals that report core measure performance data earned this distinction.

aWe are proud that HCA hospitals represent nearly one in five of those recognized by the Joint Commission as top performers,a said Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, HCAa™s Chief Medical Officer and President of the companya™s Clinical and Physician Services Group. aThis designation is a tribute to our affiliated physicians and 190,000 employees who are responsible for approximately 18 million patient encounters annually. We will continue to work with our physicians, nurses and other caregivers as part of our ongoing effort to improve clinical quality.a

HCA, which operates 164 hospitals and 111 ambulatory surgery centers, is a leading provider of healthcare services.

All references to aCompanya and aHCAa as used through this release refer to HCA Holdings, Inc. and its affiliates.