Announced Action(s) for April 29, 1997

Applications for approval of transactions: The FTC has received an application for approval of a transaction from the following entity. The FTC is seeking public comments on the application for 30 days, until May 29.

• Tenet Healthcare Corporation, of Santa Barbara, California, has applied for FTC approval to divest French Hospital Medical Center, located in San Luis Obispo, to Vista Hospital Systems, Inc., which is based in Santa Barbara and is a subordinate of Permian Health Care Inc., of Santa Monica. The divestiture, which also includes certain other related assets, is required by a proposed consent order to settle FTC charges that Tenet’s acquisition of OrNda Healthcorp would combine the three largest of the five hospitals in San Luis Obispo County, and thereby substantially reduce competition for inpatient acute care hospital services in the county. The divestiture requirement is designed to restore competition. (See Jan. 29, 1997 news release for more details regarding this case; FTC File No. 971 0024.) Staff contact is Roberta Baruch, 202-326-2861.

Copies of the application and news release related to this case are available from the FTC’s Public Reference Branch, Room 130, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580; 202-326-2222; TTY for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. The January 1997 news release, as well as other related documents, are available from the FTC’s website at www.ftc.gov. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710.