HCA STILL TRYING TO SELL ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL

(04/04/2006)
The health care giant, Hospital Corporation of America is still trying to hatch a deal to sell four West Virginia hospitals and one in Virginia to LifePoint Hospitals.

The deal includes St. Joseph's Hospital in Parkersburg.

HCA says they want to divest the corporation of rural healthcare facilities.

LifePoint rejected a $330 million sale price.

The other hospitals are St. Francis Hospital in Charleston, Putnam General Hospital in Hurricane, Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley and Clinch Valley Medical Center in Richlands, Virginia.

LifePoint is based in Brentwood, Tennessee, and operates 52 hospitals in rural areas.

LifePoint was a spin-off of HCA in 1999.