Bolivar Medical Center
under new ownership

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. and Province Healthcare Company have announced they have signed a definitive agreement for LifePoint Hospitals to acquire Province Healthcare for approximately $1.7 billion in cash, stock and the assumption of debt. The transaction will create a leading hospital company focused on providing healthcare services in non-urban communities, with 50 hospitals, approximately 5,285 beds and combined revenues of approximately $1.7 billion in 2003. Of the combined 50 hospitals, 47 will be in markets where LifePoint Hospitals will be the sole community hospital provider. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2005.

According to Ruth McDaniel, Bolivar Medical Center CEO, “we maintain our commitment to provide high quality care here at Bolivar Medical Center. We will continue with all existing plans and activities throughout the transition period.”

In connection with the proposed transaction, LifePoint Hospitals and Province Healthcare intend to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a joint proxy statement/prospectus, as part of a Registration Statement on Form S-4, and other relevant materials. The joint proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to the stockholders of LifePoint Hospitals and Province Healthcare. Investors and security holders are advised to read the joint proxy statement/prospectus, registration statement and other relevant materials when they become available, as well as any amendments or supplements to those documents, because they will contain important information about LifePoint Hospitals, Province Healthcare and the proposed transaction. In addition, the joint proxy statement/prospectus, registration statement and other relevant materials filed by LifePoint Hospitals or Province Healthcare with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC by LifePoint Hospitals by contacting Investor Relations, LifePoint Hospitals, Inc., 103 Powell Court, Suite 200, Brentwood, Tennessee, 37027, Phone: (615) 372-8500 and by Province Healthcare by contacting Investor Relations, Province Healthcare Company, 105 Westwood Place, Suite 400, Brentwood, Tennessee, 37027, Phone: (615) 370-1377.

LifePoint Hospitals and Province Healthcare, and their respective directors and executive officers, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from their respective stockholders with respect to the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. Information about the directors and executive officers of LifePoint Hospitals, and their interests in the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including their ownership of LifePoint Hospitals common stock, is set forth in the proxy statement for LifePoint Hospitals’ 2004 annual meeting, which was filed with the SEC on April 28, 2004. Information about the directors and executive officers of Province Healthcare, and their interests in the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including their ownership of Province Healthcare common stock, is set forth in the proxy statement for Province Healthcare’s 2004 annual meeting, which was filed with the SEC on April 20, 2004. Investors and security holders may obtain additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants by reading the joint proxy statement/prospectus and the other relevant documents filed with the SEC when they become available. DBJ