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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

                                              NEWS RELEASE
                                              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                              CONTACT:  MERILYN H. HERBERT
                                              VICE PRESIDENT, INVESTOR RELATIONS
                                              (615) 370-1377


                PROVINCE HEALTHCARE ANNOUNCES SECOND ACQUISITION
                                IN SELMA, ALABAMA

         Brentwood, TN, August 27, 2001 - Province Healthcare Company
(Nasdaq:PRHC) today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire
Vaughan Regional Medical Center in Selma, Alabama, from Vaughan Regional Medical
Center, Inc., a non-profit organization. Additionally, Province announced the
signing of one new Letter of Intent (LOI) bringing the total number of LOI's
outstanding again to three.

         Vaughan Regional Medical Center has 125 licensed beds and had
annualized revenues at May 31, 2001 of approximately $38.0 million. Under the
agreement, Province will acquire Vaughan Regional for approximately $28.0
million. The sale is expected to close on October 1, 2001, subject to standard
regulatory approvals.

         Province announced the acquisition of the other hospital in Selma,
Alabama, Selma Baptist Hospital, on July 2, 2001. Martin S. Rash, Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer of Province Healthcare, said, "We are very excited about
the merger of the two hospitals in Selma, Alabama. With combined revenues of
approximately $74.0 million and a service area population of close to 100,000,
we foresee a regional hospital, providing more intensive services to the large
area it will serve. We have begun the physician recruiting effort and expect to
add significantly to the number of quality physicians in the community."

         Province Healthcare is a provider of health care services in attractive
non-urban markets in the United States. The Company owns or leases 16 general
acute care hospitals in 11 states with a total of 1,733 licensed beds. The
Company also provides management services to 36 primarily non-urban hospitals in
13 states with a total of 2,981 licensed beds.

         Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in
this release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties
which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to differ
materially from forecasted results. Those risks include, among others, risks
associated with general economic and business conditions, the effect of future
governmental regulations, including the recently enacted Balanced Budget Act of
1997, changes in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement levels, and the Company's
ability to implement successfully its acquisition and development strategy and
to obtain financing therefore. Those and other risks are described in the
Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), copies of
which are available from the SEC or may be obtained upon request from the
Company.

CONTACT:  Merilyn H. Herbert, Province Healthcare Company (PRHC) at
          (615)370-1377