DOW JONES NEWSWIRES 
 

Tenet Healthcare Corp.'s (THC) second-quarter loss was unchanged from a year earlier, as the hospital operator faced weaker admissions.

The hospital industry is facing growing numbers of uninsured patients and unpaid patient bills. But last week, when Tenet raised its 2009 earnings outlook, it cited a "very strong" first half and cost controls, saying the industry may be benefiting more than previously expected from reined-in costs.

Tenet also could be continuing to regain its footing after settling government probes in 2006 over pricing plans. It has changed management, shed hospitals and made improvements that earned it good-quality ratings from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Tenet's loss was flat from a year earlier $15 million, or 3 cents a share, matching its July view.

Net operating revenue rose 5.5% to $2.23 billion, beating the company's July forecast for an increase of 4.5% to $2.21 billion. That view was below Wall Street's views at the time.

Last week, Tenet said pricing gains and growth in its outpatient business led to higher results for the quarter. It also cited "growing confidence that effective cost control and strengthening outpatient volumes can mitigate the impacts the company is seeing from a weak economy," namely weak admissions of commercially insured patients.

Shares closed Monday at $4.20 and were inactive premarket. The stock has more than tripled this year but remains down one-third from a year earlier.

-By Mike Barris, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2330; mike.barris@dowjones.com