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NAPLES, Fla.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Health Management Associates, Inc. (NYSE:HMA) today announced that it has named John M. Starcher, Jr., who has been a key executive with Catholic Health Partners, (aCHPa), to the post of Eastern Group President, effective February 27, 2012.

"I am passionate about providing great care to patients and look forward to working to further Health Managementasfundamental andnoblemission a"- enabling Americaas best local health care."

The appointment is part of Health Managementas recent operational reorganization, designed to better position the company for future growth. Effective January 1, 2012, Health Managementas 66 hospitals were organized into three regional groups, each headed by a Group President who reports to Gary D. Newsome, President and Chief Executive Officer of Health Management.

As Eastern Group President, Starcher will oversee 23 hospitals in Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and West Virginia.

He joins Alan Levine who oversees 22 Florida hospitals as President of the Florida Group and Joe D. Pinion who, as President of the Southern and Western Group, oversees 21 hospitals in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington.

aJohn will be a great addition to our operational leadership team, and I am excited to welcome him to the Health Management family,a said Newsome. aJohnas years of experience in not-for-profit and academic medicine will be extremely valuable as we continue to expand our partnership base.a

Starcher most recently served at CHP as CEO of the North Division, which includes13 acute care hospitalsand dozens of affiliated clinical practices in Ohio,accounting for more than $2 billion in net revenue. Inthat role, he guided the restructure of CHP's portfolio, which included the sale of nine hospitals in two states, grossing nearly $700 million. Previously, he served at CHP as the CEO of the Northeastern Pennsylvania region and as CHPas Senior Vice President of Human Resources. Starcher began his health care career in academic medicine, serving six years in human resources leadership at the Medical College of Ohio, now the University of Toledo Medical Center.

Starcherhas a bacheloras degree in business administration from Bowling Green State University and a J.D. from the University of Toledo. He holds an active license to practice law in Ohio.

aI am very excited to be joining the Health Management team,a said Starcher. aI am passionate about providing great care to patients and look forward to working to further Health Managementasfundamental andnoblemission a"- enabling Americaas best local health care.a

Health Management enables Americaas 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. Health Management, through its subsidiaries, operates 66 hospitals, with approximately 10,400 licensed beds located throughout the United States.

All references to aHealth Management,a aHMAa or the aCompanya 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" 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 incurrence of indebtedness, 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, and its most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, under the headings 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 its risk factors or to publicly announce updates to the forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect new information, future events or other developments.