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Hahnemann University Hospital and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children Extend Current Agreement With Independence Blue Cross

PHILADELPHIA, April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hahnemann University Hospital, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and Independence Blue Cross (IBC) announced today that they have reached agreement in principle on terms of new contracts. They have extended their current agreements while they define terms for new multi-year contracts. Hahnemann and St. Christopher's are both part of Tenet Healthcare Corporation's (NYSE:THC) national network of hospitals. The parties will continue to work together to finalize details of the new contracts with a targeted effective date of July 1, 2008.

Members of IBC will continue to have access to health care services offered at the two hospitals, their outpatient centers and employed physician practices. The parties have been working to reach new agreements in advance of the current contract termination, which was to have occurred on April 30.

"We are pleased to reach an agreement that avoids a potentially disruptive contract termination for our patients," said Michael P. Halter, chief executive officer of Hahnemann University Hospital. "This extension of our agreement means that we can continue providing care to our patients who are covered by Independence Blue Cross."

Bernadette Mangan, chief executive officer of St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, said, "We welcome the opportunity to continue working with Independence Blue Cross to provide quality care for their members."

"We value our longstanding relationship with Hahnemann and St. Christopher's Hospitals and are pleased that we have achieved an understanding as the basis for a new agreement," said I. Steven Udvarhelyi, chief medical officer and senior vice president. "More importantly, our members will continue to receive quality care from these institutions."

About Independence Blue Cross

Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in Southeastern Pennsylvania. IBC and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.4 million people. For 70 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. To learn more about Independence Blue Cross, visit www.ibx.com.

About Hahnemann University Hospital

Hahnemann University Hospital is a 540-bed academic medical center at Broad and Vine Streets in Philadelphia, Pa. The hospital is a tertiary care institution that specializes in cardiac services, heart failure and transplantation, OB/GYN, orthopedics, medical, surgical and radiation oncology, bone marrow transplantation, renal dialysis and kidney/pancreas/liver transplantation. Hahnemann has been named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation's top fifty hospitals for heart care and is also recognized by the American Heart Association as a leader in coronary artery disease and heart failure treatments. The hospital performed one of the city's first kidney transplants in 1963 and one of the first bone marrow transplants in 1976. Hahnemann became Philadelphia's first Level I Regional Resource Trauma Center for adults in 1986, and since then has been served by MidAtlantic MedEvac, an aeromedical transport program for critically ill patients. Hahnemann is proud to be the first hospital in Philadelphia to join with The Wellness Community of Philadelphia to offer onsite support and education services to cancer patients and their families. Hahnemann is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. An affiliate of Drexel University College of Medicine, Hahnemann University Hospital is part of Tenet Pennsylvania, which also includes St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. To learn more about Hahnemann, visit www.hahnemannhospital.com.

About St. Christopher's Hospital for Children

St. Christopher's Hospital for Children is a 170-bed pediatric hospital located at 3601 A Street in Philadelphia, PA that has an academic affiliation with Drexel University College of Medicine and the Temple University School of Medicine. The hospital provides a wide range of pediatric medical and surgical specialties. With a medical staff of more than 270 pediatric specialists, St. Christopher's is a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and provides programs such as kidney transplantation, cancer treatment, burn and wound care, minimally invasive surgery, and open heart surgery for the children of the greater Philadelphia area and from around the world. The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. St. Christopher's Hospital for Children is part of Tenet Healthcare Corporation's Hospitals in the Philadelphia market. To learn more about St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, visit www.stchristophershospital.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

http://www.ibx.com

http://www.stchristophershospital.com/

Source: Hahnemann University Hospital

CONTACT: Coleen Cannon of Hahnemann University Hospital, Office:
+1-215-762-7235, Cell: +1-215-439-0066; or Karen Godlewski of Independence
Blue Cross, Office: +1-215-241-3113, Cell: +1-609-413-6803

Web Site:

http://www.hahnemannhospital.com/

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Profile: Transplant News