NAPLES, Fla., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Health Management Associates, Inc. announced today that the 153-bed Biloxi Regional Medical Center, located in Biloxi, Mississippi, has remained open and operational throughout hurricane Katrina’s landfall. The hospital sustained roof damage and broken windows, but remains operational under generator power. There were no reported hurricane-related injuries to physicians, patients or employees.
Damage assessment is beginning and some repairs have already commenced and will be ongoing, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to enable physicians and staff to continue to treat those in need of medical care. Since landfall the hospital has treated between 90 and 130 inpatients, and hundreds of emergency room visits. Physicians who remained to treat patients are being sheltered in a Biloxi Regional medical office building adjacent to the hospital. Hurricane relief supplies and relief crews of nurses and recovery personnel from sister HMA hospitals have already arrived in Biloxi, and more resources are enroute. Local municipal water, electricity and telephone services are not operational, and communication efforts are extremely difficult.
“Once again, in the face of extreme conditions, our physicians and employees put their community and their patients first. Their actions and selflessness are truly heroic and inspirational,” said Joseph Vumbacco, President and Chief Executive Officer of HMA. “Many of these heroes lost everything while serving the community’s needs when Biloxi needed them most. Media accounts of the devastation from Katrina are difficult to witness, and all of those affected by this natural disaster remain in our prayers. Our recovery efforts have already begun, and will continue around the clock. While HMA has property and business interruption insurance, subject to deductibles, any estimation of impact from Katrina would be extremely premature at this time. Our first priority is to take care of our patients, employees and physicians and ensure their well being.”
Hurricane Katrina disrupted operations at several additional HMA Mississippi hospitals on her path through the state. Municipal power outages and minor damage were experienced in these hospitals, but all of these facilities remained operational under generator power. Municipal power has now been restored at all HMA Mississippi hospitals with the exception of Biloxi Regional.
HMA is the premier operator of non-urban general acute care hospitals in communities situated throughout the United States. HMA has generated 16 years of uninterrupted operating earnings growth and operates 57 hospitals in 16 states with approximately 8,310 licensed beds.
Certain statements contained in this release, including, without limitation, statements containing the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “expects,” “optimistic,” and words of similar import, constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may include projections of revenues, income or loss, capital expenditures, capital structure, or other financial items, statements regarding the plans and objectives of management for future operations, statements of future economic performance, statements of the assumptions underlying or relating to any of the foregoing statements, and other statements which are other than statements of historical fact.
Statements made throughout this release are based on current estimates of future events, and the Company has no obligation to update or correct these estimates. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially as a result of these various factors.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030418/HMALOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.orgPRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comHealth Management Associates, Inc.
CONTACT: John C. Merriwether, Vice President of Financial Relations ofHealth Management Associates, Inc., +1-239-598-3104
Web site: http://www.hma-corp.com/