April 22, 2005 – Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) announced today that San Ramon Regional Medical Center in San Ramon, Calif., led by Chief Executive Officer Gary Sloan and the administrative team, has been selected to the company’s 2005 Circle of Excellence. Additionally, Livermore resident, Christine Dunn, R.N., a charge nurse in the Family Birthing Unit at San Ramon, has been inducted into the Caregiver Hall of Fame.
Tenet’s annual Circle of Excellence award recognizes the winning hospitals’ accomplishments in a number of different areas and is intended to honor the teamwork, collaboration and cooperation that are required to operate a successful hospital. Hospitals are evaluated based on such factors as high ratings for patient, employee and physician satisfaction, consistency of the hospital leadership team, proven success at overcoming difficult challenges, and financial performance.
“Through the hard work and dedication of its leadership and staff, San Ramon Regional Medical Center has become a role model for other Tenet hospitals and an essential part of the health care community in the area it serves,” said Reynold Jennings, Tenet’s chief operating officer. “Under Gary’s leadership, San Ramon Regional Medical Center strives to provide preeminent medical care for its patients, as well as excellent working conditions to attract and retain the best employees. They are thoroughly deserving of Tenet’s highest award.”
Sloan, Chief Operating Officer Sue Micheletti, Chief Financial Officer Beenu Chadha and Chief Nursing Officer Pam Pshea led the way to San Ramon’s success. Under their leadership the hospital received a 5-star rating in obstetrics from HealthGrades, a leading hospital research company. They also worked hard to increase patient, employee and physician satisfaction, further cementing their reputation as the high-quality, high-tech alternative in the booming East Bay market.
Tenet’s regional executives nominate candidates for the Circle of Excellence from the hospitals they supervise. Winners are selected based on both objective criteria, such as patient, physician and employee satisfaction scores, and subjective evaluations.
Christine Dunn is an obstetrical charge nurse whose has it all, outstanding nursing skills, great ability to think on her feet and tremendous compassion for her patients. This past June, Dunn responded to a crisis in the Family Birthing Unit at San Ramon and the result was the saving of three lives. Her quick thinking and astute prioritization not only led to a positive outcome, it was also the catalyst for improvements in patient safety and quality of care at San Ramon.
“Tenet is very fortunate to have dedicated, professional and compassionate people like Christine in our hospitals,” said Trevor Fetter, Tenet’s president and chief executive officer. “The Caregiver Award winner represents the best of who we are and what we stand for at Tenet, which is providing excellent quality care to our patients. Christine Dunn is thoroughly deserving of this honor.”
Dunn is just one of four people inducted into this year’s Caregiver Hall of Fame and the only awardee from Tenet’s California Region. Caregiver award winners are nominated by their hospital’s CEO. Winners are selected from dozens of nominees, based on both objective criteria, such as extraordinary examples of patient care, devotion to service, technical skills and comments from co-workers, patients and families, and physicians.
San Ramon Regional Medical Center is part of Tenet California. Since opening in 1990 at 6001 Norris Canyon Road in San Ramon, Calif., the medical center has continued to provide increasingly advanced acute care and outpatient medical services in the area. San Ramon has been among the pioneers for international medical technology such as the robotic-assisted daVinci™ Surgical System. Specialized programs include Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bay Area Heart Institute, Spine Program, Women’s Cancer Center, Joint Replacement Program, Breast Cancer Care, Emergency Service, Maternity Services, Pediatric Services and the Outpatient Surgery Center at San Ramon. Pediatricians from Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland treat children 24-hour a day at the San Ramon hospital. San Ramon is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. To learn more about San Ramon Regional Medical Center visit www.sanramonmedctr.com.
Tenet Healthcare Corporation, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals and related health care services. Tenet’s hospitals aim to provide the best possible care to every patient who comes through their doors, with a clear focus on quality and service. Tenet can be found on the World Wide Web at www.tenethealth.com.
Some of the statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on our current expectations and could be affected by numerous factors and are subject to various risks and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2004, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and periodic reports on Form 8-K. 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.