Province Healthcare Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Hospital in Las Cruces, New Mexico

Province Healthcare Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire
Hospital in Las Cruces, New Mexico 


BRENTWOOD, Tenn., May 20  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Province Healthcare Company
 today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire, through a
long-term lease, substantially all of the assets of Memorial Medical Center in
Las Cruces, New Mexico from The City of Las Cruces, New Mexico and The County
of Dona Ana.  The 286-bed hospital reported net revenues of approximately $150
million for the year ended December 31, 2003. The transaction is anticipated to
close before the end of the second quarter ending June 30, 2004, subject to
customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Martin S. Rash, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Province, said, "We are
most pleased that the Board of Finance of New Mexico unanimously approved this
transaction between Province Healthcare and the City of Las Cruces and Dona Ana
County.  We are excited to be in another New Mexico community as we have found
the state to be an excellent environment for the delivery of healthcare by the
Company.  We look forward to continuing the delivery of quality healthcare,
recruiting new physicians and bringing additional services to the community."

Province Healthcare is a provider of healthcare services in attractive
non-urban markets in the United States.  The Company owns or leases 19 general
acute care hospitals in 12 states with a total of 2,200 licensed beds.  The
Company also provides management services to 36 non-urban hospitals in 14
states with a total of 3,033 licensed beds.

Certain statements contained in this release, constitute "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995.  These statements may include projections of revenues, income or Lass,
capital expenditures, capital structure, or other financial items, statements
regarding the plans and objectives of management for future operations,
statements of future economic performance, statements of the assumptions
underlying or relating to any of the foregoing statements, and other statements
which are other than statements of historical fact.  These statements are based
on current estimates of future events, and the Company has no obligation to
update or correct these estimates unless considered material to the Company. 
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties
which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to differ
materially from forecasted results. Those risks include, among others, risks
associated with general economic and business conditions, the effect of future
governmental regulations, changes in reimbursement levels by government
programs, including Medicare and Medicaid or other third party payors, the
Company's continued ability to recruit and retain physicians and the Company's
ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions. Those and other
risks are described in the Company's reports and filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. 

DATASOURCE: Province Healthcare Company



CONTACT:  Pamela L. Jeter, Vice President, Investor Relations, of

Province Healthcare Company, [phone]



Web site:  http://www.provincehealthcare.com/ 

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