EXHIBIT 10(a)
                     AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

        AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this "Amendment")
dated as of  December  1, 1996,  by and  between  OrNda  HealthCorp,  a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), and William L. Hough (the "Executive").

        WHEREAS,  the Company and the  Executive  executed a certain  Employment
Agreement  (the  "Employment  Agreement")  dated as of May 1, 1996,  relating to
Executive's employment with the Company;

        WHEREAS,  pursuant to the Employment  Agreement the Executive  currently
serves as Executive  Vice President and Chief  Operating  Officer of the Company
and has served in such capacity since August, 1995;

        WHEREAS, the Company has entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of
Merger (the "Merger Agreement"), dated as of October 16, 1996, pursuant to which
a wholly owned  subsidiary of Tenet  Healthcare  Corporation  ("Tenet")  will be
merged with and into the Company, at which time the Company will become a wholly
owned  subsidiary of Tenet (the  "Merger") and the approval of the Merger by the
Company's  stockholders  will  constitute  a "Change  of  Control"  under and as
defined in the Employment Agreement;

        WHEREAS,  to induce the  Executive  to remain in the  employment  of the
Company at least during the  transition  period  beginning  October 16, 1996 and
ending with the effective  time of the Merger , the Company  wishes to amend the
Employment  Agreement in order to prepay prior to December 31, 1996 to Executive
a portion of the  severance  compensation  that would be later due to  Executive
under the Employment Agreement following Executive's qualifying termination from
employment with the Company after a "Change of Control," as such term is defined
in the Employment Agreement.

        WHEREAS,  the Compensation  Committee (the "Compensation  Committee") of
the Company's  Board of Directors  (the "Board") has approved and authorized the
Company's entry in this Amendment with the Executive.

        NOW, THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:

                                       I.

        The following new Section 26 is added to the Employment Agreement:

        "26.        The Advance.  On or prior to December 31, 1996, the
        Company will make a lump sum cash payment to Executive (the
        "Advance") in an amount equal to $2,130,000 (the "Advance"), as an
        advance payment of a portion of the benefits that are payable to
        Executive  under Section  ll(d)(ii) of this  Agreement in the event of a
        Change  in  Control  of  Company  and  the

        subsequent   termination  of Executive's  employment  under the
        circumstances  described  in Section 11(d). In the event of the
        termination of Executive's  employment  under the circumstances
        described in Section 11(d) of this Agreement, the lump sum cash payment
        to which  Executive will then be entitled under Section 11(d)(ii) of
        this Agreement in connection with such  termination will be reduced by
        an amount equal to the Advance and will  otherwise be paid to Executive
        in accordance with Section 11(d)(iv) of this Agreement. In the event
        that  (x)  the  merger  of a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  Tenet
        Healthcare  Corporation ("Tenet") into the Company (the "Merger") is not
        consummated on or prior to August 1, 1997 (the "Expiration Date") or (y)
        Executive's   employment  is  not  terminated  under  the  circumstances
        described  in  Section  11(d)  of  this  Agreement  prior  to the  first
        anniversary   of  the   effective   time  of  the  Merger   (the  "First
        Anniversary"),  Executive's base salary,  annual and long-term incentive
        compensation bonuses, stock option compensation,  severance payments and
        other  compensation  will be reduced by an aggregate amount equal to the
        Advance  in  such  manner  and in  such  increments  as  Company  or the
        surviving  corporation in the Merger (the "Surviving  Corporation"),  as
        the case may be, deems appropriate; provided, however, that in the event
        Executive's employment is terminated by Executive without Good Reason or
        by Tenet,  Company or the Surviving  Corporation for "cause" (as defined
        in this  Agreement),  Executive  shall repay to Company  within ten (10)
        business days  following the date of such  termination  of employment an
        amount  equal to the  excess,  if any,  of (a) the amount of the Advance
        over (b) the  aggregate  amount by which the  Executive's  base  salary,
        annual  and  long-term  incentive  compensation  bonuses,  stock  option
        compensation,  severance  payments  and  other  compensation  have  been
        reduced as provided above. In addition,  the Company agrees to take such
        reasonable  actions as may be necessary  to preserve  the  deductibility
        under  section  162(m)  of the  Internal  Revenue  Code of the  Advance,
        including  (without  limitation) by terminating  Executive's  employment
        with or  position  as an  executive  officer  of  Company  prior  to the
        effective time of the Merger  (Executive  hereby agreeing to approve and
        cooperate  with any such requested  termination),  provided that no such
        action will be taken that would adversely affect Executive's entitlement
        to the  severance  benefits  provided  under  Section  11(d)(ii) of this
        Agreement  or  preclude  the  acceleration  of  the   exercisability  of
        Executive's  employee  stock options  pursuant to the terms of Company's
        1994 Management Equity Plan.

                                       II.

        In all other  respects the Employment  Agreement is hereby  ratified and
confirmed.

                                        2

        IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties hereto have executed this Amendment on
December 16, 1996, but effective as of the date first above written.



                                             ORNDA HEALTHCORP


                                             BY:  /s/ Ronald P. Soltman
                                                  Ronald P. Soltman
                                                  Senior Vice President


                                             THE EXECUTIVE

                                             /s/ William L. Hough
                                                 William L. Hough

                                        3