Exhibit 99

     LifePoint Hospitals Completes Acquisition of Four Hospitals from HCA;
                Company Also Obtains Additional Senior Financing


    BRENTWOOD, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 30, 2006--LifePoint
Hospitals, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPNT) today announced that it has completed,
effective July 1, 2006, its previously announced acquisition of four
hospitals from HCA Inc. (NYSE: HCA) for a purchase price of $239
million plus specific working capital, including inventory and the
assumption of paid time off, as defined in the purchase agreement. The
four facilities include 200-bed Clinch Valley Medical Center,
Richlands, Virginia; 325-bed St. Joseph's Hospital, Parkersburg, West
Virginia; 155-bed Saint Francis Hospital, Charleston, West Virginia;
and 369-bed Raleigh General Hospital, Beckley, West Virginia. As also
previously announced, the Company has classified St. Joseph's Hospital
and Saint Francis Hospital as assets held for sale.
    LifePoint Hospitals also announced that it has exercised its right
under its existing senior credit agreement dated April 15, 2005, by
and among Citicorp North America, Inc., as administrative agent, and
the lenders party thereto (as amended, amended and restated,
supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the "Credit
Agreement") to increase the availability of term loans under the
Credit Agreement by up to $50 million and has borrowed $50 million in
the form of the incremental term loans thereunder. The proceeds of
these incremental term loans have been used to finance the
aforementioned acquisition of the four hospitals from HCA.
    In commenting on the announcement, William F. Carpenter III,
president and chief executive officer of LifePoint Hospitals, said,
"We are pleased to announce the completion of this acquisition. We are
excited about the addition of these hospitals, and look forward to
becoming part of these outstanding communities. While we are
classifying St. Joseph's Hospital and Saint Francis Hospital as assets
held for sale, we are committed to supporting these hospitals through
this transition period and are encouraged by the early interest that
we are receiving in these two facilities. We welcome all four
hospitals to the LifePoint family, and we will work with the
administration and healthcare professionals to accomplish a smooth
transition for each hospital."
    LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. is a leading hospital company focused on
providing healthcare services in non-urban communities. Of the
Company's 53 hospitals, 49 are in communities where LifePoint
Hospitals is the sole community hospital provider. LifePoint
Hospitals' non-urban operating strategy offers continued operational
improvement by focusing on its five core values: delivering
compassionate, high quality patient care, supporting physicians,
creating excellent workplaces for its employees, providing community
value and ensuring fiscal responsibility. Headquartered in Brentwood,
Tennessee, LifePoint Hospitals is affiliated with approximately 22,300
employees. More information about LifePoint Hospitals can be found on
its website, www.lifepointhospitals.com.

    Important Legal Information

    This release includes forward-looking statements based on current
management expectations. Numerous factors exist which may cause
results to differ from these expectations. Many of the factors that
will determine LifePoint Hospitals' future results are beyond
LifePoint Hospitals' ability to control or predict with accuracy. Such
forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations and
beliefs of the management of LifePoint Hospitals, are not guarantees
of performance of LifePoint Hospitals, and are subject to a number of
risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause
actual results to differ from those described in the forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements may also be subject to
other risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, (i) the
possibility that problems may arise in successfully integrating the
businesses of LifePoint Hospitals and Province and achieving
cost-cutting synergies or the ability to acquire hospitals on
favorable terms and complete budgeted capital improvements
successfully; (ii) reduction in payments to healthcare providers by
government and commercial third-party payors, as well as changes in
the manner in which employers provide healthcare coverage to their
employees; (iii) the possibility of adverse changes in, and
requirements of, applicable laws, regulations, policies and
procedures; (iv) the ability to manage healthcare risks, including
malpractice litigation, and the lack of state and federal tort reform;
(v) the availability, cost and terms of insurance coverage; (vi) the
highly competitive nature of the healthcare business, including the
competition to recruit and retain physicians and other healthcare
professionals; (vii) the ability to attract and retain qualified
management and personnel; (viii) the geographic concentration of
LifePoint Hospitals' operations; (ix) changes in the Company's
operating or expansion strategy; (x) the ability to operate and
integrate newly acquired facilities successfully; (xi) the
availability and terms of capital to fund LifePoint Hospitals'
business strategies; (xii) changes in LifePoint Hospitals' liquidity
or the amount or terms of its indebtedness and in its credit ratings;
(xiii) the potential adverse impact of government investigations and
litigation involving the business practices of healthcare providers,
including whistleblowers investigations; (xiv) changes in or
interpretations of generally accepted accounting principles or
practices; (xv) volatility in the market value of LifePoint Hospitals'
common stock; (xvi) changes in general economic conditions in the
markets LifePoint Hospitals serves; (xvii) LifePoint Hospitals'
reliance on information technology systems maintained by HCA Inc.;
(xviii) the costs of complying with the Americans with Disabilities
Act; (xix) possible adverse rulings, judgments, settlements and other
outcomes of pending litigation; (xx) the ability to successfully
operate and integrate the facilities acquired from HCA Inc. and
successfully dispose of the assets held for sale; and (xxi) those
risks and uncertainties described from time to time in LifePoint
Hospitals' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Therefore, LifePoint Hospitals' future results may differ materially
from those described in this release. LifePoint Hospitals undertakes
no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, or to make any
other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.

    All references to "LifePoint Hospitals" as used throughout this
release refer to LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. and its subsidiaries.


    CONTACT: LifePoint Hospitals, Inc.
             Michael J. Culotta, 615-372-8512