Exhibit 99(a)


STATEMENT UNDER OATH OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER REGARDING FACTS AND
CIRCUMSTANCES RELATING TO EXCHANGE ACT FILINGS.

I, Joseph V. Vumbacco, state and attest that:

(1)  To the best of my knowledge, based upon a review of the covered reports of
     Health Management Associates, Inc., and, except as corrected or
     supplemented in a subsequent covered report:

     .    no covered report contained an untrue statement of a material fact as
          of the end of the period covered by such report (or in the case of a
          report on Form 8-K or definitive proxy materials, as of the date on
          which it was filed); and

     .    no covered report omitted to state a material fact necessary to make
          the statements in the covered report, in light of the circumstances
          under which they were made, not misleading as of the end of the period
          covered by such report (or in the case of a report on Form 8-K or
          definitive proxy materials, as of the date on which it was filed).

(2)  I have reviewed the contents of this statement with the Company's audit
     committee.

(3)  In this statement under oath, each of the following, if filed on or before
     the date of this statement, is a "covered report":

     .    Form 10-K of Health Management Associates, Inc. filed with the
          Commission on December 21, 2001;

     .    all reports on Form 10-Q, all reports on Form 8-K and all definitive
          proxy materials of Health Management Associates, Inc. filed with the
          Commission subsequent to the filing of the Form 10-K identified above;
          and

     .    any amendments to any of the foregoing.




                                               Subscribed and sworn to before me
                                               this 12th day of August 2002.

/s/ Joseph V. Vumbacco
- ----------------------------------
Joseph V. Vumbacco                             /s/ Jeanne E. Trent
                                               --------------------------
                                               Notary Public

Date:  August 12, 2002                         My Commission Expires: 10-09-03