Piedmont Healthcare purchases Mountainside Hospital in Jasper, Georgia

ATLANTA, GA (June 2, 2004) - R. Timothy Stack, president and CEO of Piedmont Medical Center, today announced that Piedmont has completed the acquisition of Mountainside Medical Center in Jasper, Georgia, from SunLink Health Systems, Inc.  Mountainside Medical Center is a 35-bed acute care hospital, accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. 
 
"We're excited about establishing a Piedmont presence in north Georgia and serving those communities.  Since our announcement two months ago, we've been overwhelmed by the response from the community, our physicians, employees and Mountainside employees who are now part of the Piedmont Family," said Stack. "Many of our physicians already have a presence in north Georgia, and we look forward to providing even more services."  Piedmont Hospital is the market leader for cardiac care in Pickens County, ranks fifth in orthopaedics, and has a strong presence in gastroenterology.
 
Piedmont  celebrated its new acquisition by meeting with Mountainside employees and community leaders on June 1.  Services at Mountainside have remained constant and will continue to transition to Piedmont in the coming months.

About Piedmont Healthcare
Piedmont Healthcare, a nonprofit corporation, 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;  Piedmont Fayette Hospital, a 100-bed acute care community hospital in Fayetteville; Piedmont Mountainside Hospitaler, a 35-bed community hospital in Jasper; Piedmont Physicians Group, a 54-member primary care physician group with 15 offices throughout metro Atlanta; and the Piedmont Clinic, a 436-member physician network.

About Mountainside Medical Center
Mountainside Medical Center 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 (mobile), ultrasound and mammography.  A complete range of outpatient services includes arthroscopic and laparoscopic surgery, physical therapy, respiratory therapy and pulmonary function, sleep studies and cardiac testing.