Community Health Systems Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Pottstown Memorial Medical Center in Pennsylvania.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

BRENTWOOD, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2003

Community Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CYH) today announced the execution of a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, located 50 miles west of Philadelphia and 25 miles east of Reading, Pennsylvania. The 299-bed facility is owned by a local not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization and is the only general acute care hospital in Pottstown. The transaction is subject to state and federal regulatory approvals.

"The acquisition of Pottstown Memorial Medical Center will establish a strategic position for Community Health Systems on the high-growth Route 422 corridor in Pennsylvania," said Wayne T. Smith, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Community Health Systems, Inc. "The healthcare system and services that have been established by this community-based organization will serve as an ideal platform for our proven operating and market growth strategies. We look forward to working with the dedicated employees, medical staff, and local leadership as we develop and enhance the delivery of quality healthcare for the residents of this region."

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center will join Community Health Systems' portfolio of Pennsylvania hospitals -- Berwick Hospital Center, Berwick; Brandywine Hospital, Coatesville; Jennersville Regional Hospital, West Grove; Easton Hospital, Easton, and Lock Haven Hospital, Lock Haven.

Located in the Nashville, Tennessee, suburb of Brentwood, Community Health Systems is a leading operator of general acute care hospitals in non-urban communities throughout the country. Through its subsidiaries, the Company currently owns, leases or operates 70 hospitals in 22 states. Community Health Systems' hospitals offer a broad range of inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical services. Shares in Community Health Systems, Inc. are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "CYH."

Statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual future events or results may differ materially from these statements. Readers are referred to the documents filed by Community Health Systems, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the most recent filings which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including execution of our growth, acquisition, and business strategies. These and other applicable risks are summarized under the caption "risk factors" in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.