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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - On Sept. 1, 41 former Health Management Associates, Inc. (HMA) physicians from medical practices based in Chester, Gaffney, Hamlet and Louisburg joined Novant Medical Group, part of Novant Health. Additionally, support employees and specialists from each practice - including physician assistants and nurse practitioners - joined the organization.

The transition of physicians and employees to the organization is the result of a joint venture between Novant health and Health Management Associates, Inc. (HMA) that occured in March 2008. Novant Health purchased a minority share of ownership of all seven HMA hospitals in North Carolina and South Carolina for $300 million.

As part of the agreement, HMA physicians could choose to become an independent medical practice, join Novant Medical Group or choose other options. Previously on August 1, 45 physicians from other HMA practices in North and South Carolina joined the organization during the first phase of the transition.

The recent round of physicians who chose to join Novant Medical Group, all formerly a part of HMA's network, includes:

Following phase one and two of the transition, Novant Medical Group is now home to more than one thousand physicians.

"We welcome the new physicians to our Novant Medical Group Family," said Patrick Easterling, senior vice president of Novant Medical Group. "Each clinician shares the same quality standards and mission to improve the health of the community, one person at a time. Additionally, we're excited to expand in to new markets and develop new relationships with physicians, their staff, patients and members of the community - all with a focus on delivering high quality care."

Following the March 2008 joint venture agreement, the seven HMA hospitals that are included in the agreement are: Davis Regional Medical Center, Statesville, NC; Lake Norman Regional Medical Center, Mooresville, NC; Franklin Regional Medical Center, Louisburg, SC; Sandhills Regional Medical Center, Hamlet, NC; Chester Regional Medical Center, Chester, SC; Upstate Carolina Medical Center, Gaffney, SC; and Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center, Hartsville, SC. In total these hospitals consist of 711 beds and serve as community hospitals in their regions.

HMA and Novant will share governance of the joint venture through a partnership board. HMA will continue to manage the hospitals on behalf of the joint venture. The partnership will also establish a Quality Advisory Committee, with equal representation from both organizations, whose objective will to ensure that all seven hospitals exceed the hospital industry's leading benchmarks for clinical and service quality. The partnership will also develop several mutually beneficial revenue and operational synergies, including more seamless delivery of care.

Novant Health is a not-for-profit integrated healthcare system that includes nine hospitals, a physician medical group with a thousand members, two nursing centers and 130 outpatient facilities including diagnostic centers, rehabilitation programs, surgery centers and community health outreach programs. Novant's mission is to improve the health of communities, one person at a time.

HMA's mission is the delivery of compassionate and high quality health care services that improve the quality of life for patients, physicians, and the communities they serve. The company owns and operates 58 hospitals, with approximately 8,300 licensed beds, in non-urban communitieis located throughout the United States.