HOUSTON, April 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) announces that Houston Northwest Medical Center has been named to the company's 2009 Circle of Excellence.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090427/DA05877)

The Circle of Excellence honors Tenet hospitals that have achieved the highest levels of quality, service and operational performance. Key metrics used to evaluate the hospitals were patient, physician and employee satisfaction scores, clinical quality and financial performance.

"The hard work, determination and commitment of the employees at Houston Northwest Medical Center made 2008 a great year for the hospital," said Stephen L. Newman, M.D., Tenet's chief operating officer. "I'm proud of everything that they've accomplished and am thrilled to honor them with Tenet's Circle of Excellence Award."

Drew Kahn, chief executive officer of Houston Northwest Medical Center, added, "Our nurses, physicians and staff give 110 percent every day as they deliver the high-quality care that our community expects and deserves. Receiving this honor reflects and honors the dedication of our employees, and I'm proud to count myself among them."

About HoustonNorthwestMedicalCenter

Houston Northwest Medical Center, part of Tenet's Central Region, is a 508-bed acute care facility located at 710 F.M. 1960 in Houston. HoustonNorthwestMedicalCenter has been serving the North Houston community for more than 30 years. The hospital is an AccreditedChestPainCenter by the Society of Chest Pain Centers. Houston Northwest Medical Center ranks among the nation's top hospitals for several service lines from HealthGrades, a leading source for independent health care quality information, including overall gastrointestinal services, gastrointestinal surgery, stroke, general surgery, maternity care, back and neck surgery, overall critical care services, and overall pulmonary services. Houston Northwest is also a Blue Cross/Blue Shield Center for excellence in weight loss surgery. To learn more about HoustonNorthwestMedicalCenter, a facility accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, visit www.hnmc.com.

About Tenet Healthcare Corporation

Tenet Healthcare Corporation, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals and related ancillary health care businesses, which include ambulatory surgery centers and diagnostic imaging centers.Tenet's hospitals and related health care facilities are committed to providing high quality care to patients in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit 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 year ended Dec. 31, 2008, 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.


    Contact: Theresa Lewis
    Houston Northwest Medical Center
    (281) 440-2444
    Theresa.Lewis@tenethealth.com

SOURCE Houston Northwest Medical Center