Piedmont Mountainside Hospital Named Hospital of the Year, Hospital's Chief Executive Also Recognized as CEO of the Year

Jasper, GA (Oct. 16, 2006) - Piedmont Mountainside Hospital was named 2006 Hospital of the Year at the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals' annual meeting Oct. 12 at Callaway Gardens.  The Alliance also honored the hospital's President and Chief Executive Officer, Ed Lovern, as CEO of the Year. "We are thrilled with both recognitions," said Greg Hurst, Piedmont Mountainside Hospital Chairman of the Board and Chief Operating Officer of Piedmont Healthcare.  "These honors salute the extraordinary work by Ed and the entire Piedmont Mountainside team and are a true tribute to their commitment to the community."

Piedmont Mountainside won the Hospital of the Year honor in the small hospital category (not-for-profit hospital with less than 150 beds) for supporting direct patient care through improving access for indigent populations, displaying innovation and high quality in the range of services offered, and demonstrating support from the local community. 

The 35-bed acute care facility offers 24-hour emergency services, intensive care unit, women's services, surgery and general medical and surgical services.  Diagnostic services include CT, nuclear medicine, MRI, ultrasound and mammography.  A complete range of outpatient services includes arthroscopic and laparoscopic surgery, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, an endoscopy center, an infusion center, an outpatient specialty clinic, pulmonary function and cardiac testing.
 
"At Piedmont Mountainside, we strive to deliver the best to the people who matter most - our patients," Lovern said.  "This award is a testament to the dedication of our entire physician and staff team who give 110 percent each day to accomplish our mission of providing quality healthcare to the residents of north Georgia."

Lovern has served as CEO of Piedmont Mountainside Hospital since August 2004, two months after the hospital was acquired by Piedmont Healthcare.  Under Lovern's leadership, the hospital has expanded its services to the north Georgia community and has seen its inpatient volume increase by 61 percent.  In addition, surgeries have increased by 33 percent, and more than 65 physicians, including hospitalists and radiologists, have been added to the hospital's medical staff.

Before assuming the position of CEO, Lovern was executive vice president of Corporate Services for Piedmont Healthcare.  He joined the organization in 2002 as vice president of Public Policy and Networking, responsible for leading Piedmont's strategic initiatives and legislative relations.

Aside from serving on the Piedmont Mountainside Hospital Board, Lovern is an active member of the north Georgia community.  He is on the Board of Directors of the Pickens County Chamber of Commerce, a Board member of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals and a member of the Rotary Club of Jasper.  Lovern also serves on the Executive Board of the Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center, which provides free healthcare and dental services to the poor and working poor who live in rural Pickens County.

"Ed is an extraordinary leader.  In just two years, he has brought state-of-the-art technology, innovative services and new physicians to Piedmont Mountainside," said R. Timothy Stack, president and CEO of Piedmont Healthcare.  "He is quick and accurate in developing a vision for what needs to be accomplished, whether it's a building project or the next three-year plan for the health system. He is a lifelong student of the field - fascinated by the business of healthcare administration. And he has a passion for bringing all that we do back to the mission of serving our community."

For more information about Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, please visit www.piedmontmountainsidehospital.org.

About Piedmont Mountainside Hospital
Piedmont Mountainside Hospital (PMH) is a 35-bed acute care hospital in Jasper, Georgia. Services include a 24-hour emergency department, intensive care unit, women's services (including OB), and general medical/surgical services. Diagnostic services include CT, nuclear medicine, MRI, ultrasound and mammography.  A complete range of outpatient services includes arthroscopic and laparoscopic surgery, physical therapy, respiratory therapy and pulmonary function, and cardiac testing. PMH is a member of Piedmont Healthcare (PHC), a not-for-profit organization and one of the nation's 100 Best Performing Integrated Healthcare Networks (Top 100 IHNs). PHC is the parent company of Piedmont Hospital, a 500-bed acute tertiary care facility in the north Atlanta community of Buckhead, offering all major medical, surgical and diagnostic services, a recipient of the 2006 Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient SafetyTM according to HealthGrades (a leading healthcare ratings company) and one of the nation's Most Wired hospitals in the 2005 and 2004 100 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study; Piedmont Fayette Hospital, a 100-bed acute care community hospital in Fayetteville, named one of the nations 100 Top Hospitals® for the third year in a row and one of the nation's Most Wired hospitals; the Piedmont Hospital Foundation; Piedmont Physicians Group, with more than 70 primary care physicians in a network of 19 offices throughout metro Atlanta; and the Piedmont Clinic, a 496-member physician network. For more information, visit www.piedmontmountainsidehospital.org.