Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center to Create Cy-Fair Regional Health Network in Houston.

New Physician Clinics and Medical Office Building to Enhance Hospital Services

HOUSTON -- Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center today unveiled plans for a new regional health network to serve the rapidly growing Cypress Fairbanks community of Houston. Anchored by the 160-bed acute care Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center, which has served the area for 23 years, the network will develop new services and facilities for the community.

The new Cy-Fair Regional Health Network demonstrates Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center's vision to extend the hospital's long-established reputation for quality, customer service and resources to access other types of needed health care services.

Strong population growth, both historically and projected over the next five years, has left residents with inadequate access to primary care physicians and services. According to independent surveys, the Cy-Fair community currently has a shortage of nearly 220 general, family practice and internal medicine physicians within the primary service area of Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center. An even greater shortage of 319 physicians is predicted by 2012. During the same timeframe, the hospital's service area is expected to add more than 114,000 residents, which will further compound the need for additional health care services and providers.

Facilities and services within the new network will include:

* Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center and all its current medical and surgical services.

* Cy-Fair Professional Building, a new three-story, 60,000 square-foot medical office building currently under construction on the Highway FM 1960 side of the hospital campus. The building will house primary and specialty care physician offices, as well as ancillary services including lab, diagnostic radiology, and outpatient women's imaging services. The Breast Care Center currently located within the existing professional building on the campus will be moved into the building at a future date.

* Cy-Fair Medical Partners, a newly-created physician network created to establish and manage four primary care clinics staffed with family practice physicians in underserved areas surrounding the hospital. The first clinic, located at Highway FM 529, opened for business on Sept. 8, and a second clinic located on Barker Cypress Road opened Oct. 25. Most recently, a third location opened Nov. 13 on Grant Road between Cypresswood Drive and Jones Road, and a fourth clinic at Willowbridge Square is scheduled to open by the end of the year.

"This is a proud moment for Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center," said Terry Wheeler, the hospital and network's chief executive officer. "This growing community on the northwest side of Houston requires progressive development and quality health care for its residents. This network is an exciting opportunity for us to bring our reputation and quality services directly to those who can benefit most."

Dr. David G. Anthony, Superintendent of Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District, agreed. "This truly represents what Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center stands for in terms of dedication to the health care of our community. The development of this network and the emphasis on providing additional services to our residents is instrumental given the type of population growth we're seeing. It's very exciting to see and we appreciate Terry's commitment to our community," said Dr. Anthony.

Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center has been part of the Cy-Fair community since 1983. Over $37 million in capital has been invested in the facility since 2004, including the construction of a new intensive care unit, an emergency room expansion, the addition of a 16-slice and a 64-slice CT scanner and other renovations. Recently the hospital committed an additional $5.6 million in capital for other projects and improvements that are scheduled for completion by the end of 2006. These include a digital radiology picture archiving and communications system (PACS), and an expansion of the newborn intensive care unit that will add another 26 new beds to that unit to provide the capacity to handle the most challenging neonatal patients.

Throughout its 23-year history, Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center has built a solid reputation for providing quality care to its patients. In November, the hospital earned full accreditation as a Chest Pain Center with percutaneous coronary intervention (includes angioplasty and/or stent placement), as designated by the Society of Chest Pain Centers. In February 2005, it initiated the development and implementation of an open heart program with interventional cardiology services in order to meet the growing community need for more intensive cardiac care, including treatment of acute myocardial infarctions and coronary artery bypass grafts.

In addition, Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center has earned numerous quality designations for its efforts. It was recently awarded the 2006-2007 HealthGrades Maternity Care Excellence Award, which places its program among the top 10 percent nationally. The hospital has earned CIGNA's 2006 Center of Excellence designations for bariatrics, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, stroke and vaginal delivery. 2005 CIGNA designations were awarded in areas of cardiac catheterization, cesarean section, gallbladder removal, heart attack, stroke and vaginal delivery. In 2004, the hospital was named 2004 Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce "Business of the Year."

ABOUT CYPRESS FAIRBANKS MEDICAL CENTER

Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center, operated by Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC), is a 160-bed community hospital located at 10655 Steepletop Drive in Houston. Cypress Fairbanks has been serving the northwest Houston community since 1983. The hospital provides a broad spectrum of medical and health care services and specialties, including a 24-hour emergency department, therapy and rehabilitation services, surgical services such as weight loss surgery, and a women's health center.

The expanded emergency department offers 60 percent more treatment rooms for a total of 29 beds, a new dedicated ExpressCare unit and advanced diagnostic equipment. Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. To learn more about Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center, visit www.cyfairhospital.com.

ABOUT CY-FAIR REGIONAL HEALTH NETWORK

Cy-Fair Regional Health Network, a service of Tenet Healthcare Corporation, is a locally focused health network developed by Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center and designed to improve access to primary care services in underserved areas of the Cy-Fair area of northwest Houston. The network currently comprises Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center, a 160-bed acute care hospital located at 10655 Steepletop Drive; Cy-Fair Medical Partners, a physician network that includes four convenient clinics and seven primary care physicians in outlying communities surrounding the hospital; and Cy-Fair Professional Building, a new medical office building currently under construction and slated for completion in summer 2007. Cy-Fair Regional Health Network is committed to providing northwest Houston families with the same quality health care found at Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center.

[NOTE TO EDITORS: A digital photo of Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center and Chief Executive Officer Terry Wheeler are available by email on request. An artist's rendering of the planned Medical Office Building is also available. Please call Theresa Lewis in the Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center marketing department at 281-897-3445 for assistance.]