MDTH Medcath Corp. (MM)

The Annual Thomson Reuters List Honors Cardiovascular Hospitals With Lower Rates of Mortalities, Complications CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MedCath Corporation (NASDAQ:MDTH) announced today that five of its hospitals have been honored as part of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals(R) for cardiovascular care by Thomson Reuters. The list includes the Arizona Heart Hospital (Phoenix), the Louisiana Medical Center and Heart Hospital (Lacombe, La.), the Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota (Sioux Falls, S.D.), Heart Hospital of Austin (Texas) and the Harlingen Medical Center (Texas). Now in its tenth year, the study marks the fifth time Arizona Heart Hospital has received the honor, the fourth time for Heart Hospital of Austin and the third time for Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota. The list, published online by Modern Healthcare magazine (http://www.modernhealthcare.com/), is based on hospitals' performance treating four kinds of emergencies: heart failure, heart attacks, bypass surgeries and angioplasties. Thomson Reuters examined the clinical outcomes of patients at 970 hospitals and found, for example, that the mortality rate for bypass surgery was 26 percent lower in the 100 Top Hospitals. The study also found that, on average, the top hospitals cost $1,542 less per case. "These hospitals provide enormous value to their communities because heart disease is still the nation's number one killer," Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs in the Healthcare business of Thomson Reuters, said in statement issued by Thomson Reuters. "They have set the new national standard for cardiovascular disease outcomes, process of care, efficiency, and lower costs." Said MedCath CEO Ed French, "It's an honor that five of our nine hospitals have received this prestigious ranking, because it recognizes the one measure that matters most: quality care. Studies repeatedly show that our patient- focused model has helped lead to lower mortality rates, shorter lengths of stay and a higher rate of being discharged directly home. We're pleased that these five hospitals, in particular, have been singled out for their exceptional performance." MedCath Corporation, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is a healthcare provider focused on high acuity services with the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease being a primary service offering. MedCath owns an interest in and operates nine hospitals with a total of 676 licensed beds, located in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Louisiana, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Texas. MedCath is in the process of developing its tenth hospital, which is anticipated to open in fall 2009, in Kingman, Ariz. In addition, MedCath and its subsidiary MedCath Partners provide services in diagnostic and therapeutic facilities in various states. The Healthcare business of Thomson Reuters produces insights, information, benchmarks and analysis that enable organizations to manage costs, improve performance and enhance the quality of healthcare. Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. It combines industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, scientific, healthcare and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. DATASOURCE: MedCath Corporation CONTACT: O. Edwin French, President & Chief Executive Officer, +1-704-708-6600, Jeff Hinton, Chief Financial Officer, +1-704-708-6600, both of MedCath Corporation Web site: http://www.medcath.com/ http://www.modernhealthcare.com/

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