Ana Mederos Named Best Hospital CEO by Florida Medical Business

Hialeah, Fla. – Ana Mederos, CEO of Hialeah Hospital and former CEO of North Shore Medical Center was named by Florida Medical Business as Best CEO (250+ bed hospitals), for her administration of North Shore Medical Center.   The publication’s 15th Annual Medical Business Awards will be held Friday, May 21 at DCOTA (Design Center of the Americas) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Mederos was nominated by her colleagues and the readers of Florida Medical Business newspaper, which comprises the state’s 45,000 physicians and more than 3,000 hospital executives and other health care professionals.  Nominations were judged by a panel of prominent industry leaders, including: Dr. Carl Lentz, president, Florida Medical Association; J Daniel Miller, Chairman of the Board, Florida Hospital Association; Dr. James Corcoran, Medical Director, First Coast Service Options, Florida Medicare Program; and Dr. Elizabeth Tucker, Chairman, Florida Board of Medicine.

“It is an honor to receive this award,” said Mederos.  “To be recognized by such a distinguished panel of health care administrators makes the award even more prestigious and meaningful.”

Winners from throughout the state are judged for their demonstrated economic and financial savvy, their impact on the Florida health care industry, improved quality and cost-efficiency of health care delivery, and

During her time as CEO at North Shore Medical Center Mederos placed a great deal of focus on raising the level of patient and employee satisfaction to the next level.  In two years she improved satisfaction levels by five percent.  Additionally, her emphasis on physical hospital improvements helped realign the hospital to better meet the growing needs of the community. 

Tenet Healthcare Corporation honored Mederos in 2003 with the Circle of Excellence Award. This prestigious award recognizes the outstanding performance of hospital CEO’s.

Now, the CEO of Hialeah Hospital, where she first began her medical career 25 years ago as a nurse, Mederos continues to provide access to quality health care to the community the hospital serves.

Located in northeast Miami-Dade County, North Shore Medical Center is a 357-bed acute care hospital provides a wide range of comprehensive medical and surgical services, including a Level IIl neonatal intensive care unit, critical care unit, behavioral health services, imaging services including MRI and a newly completed 24-hour emergency department.

Hialeah Hospital, a 378-bed acute care facility, opened its doors in 1951 and became a part of Tenet South Florida in 1996.  The hospital offers a wide array of medical programs, including the Weight Loss Surgery Program, Sleep Disorders Program, the Endovascular Center of Miami-Dade and the Motherhood Center.

Tenet South Florida hospitals are Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Coral Gables Hospital, Delray Medical Center, Florida Medical Center, Good Samaritan Medical Center, Hialeah Hospital, Hollywood Medical Center, North Ridge Medical Center, North Shore Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Palmetto General Hospital, Parkway Regional Medical Center, Pinecrest Rehabilitation Hospital, St. Mary’s Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center.  Tenet South Florida can be found on the World Wide Web at www.tenetsouthflorida.com.

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Certain statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements.  They are based on management’s current expectations and could be affected by numerous factors and are subject to various risks and uncertainties.  Certain of those risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s transition report on Form 10-K for the 7-month period ended Dec. 31, 2002 and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.  Do not rely on any forward-looking statement, as we cannot predict or control many of the factors that ultimately may affect our ability to achieve the results estimated.  We make no promise to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of changes in underlying factors, new information, future events or otherwise.