FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Medical Center Of Central Georgia's
Stroke Care Program Awarded Certification from
the Joint Commission

MACON (June 12, 2008)-The Medical Center of Central Georgia (MCCG) has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers. MCCG earned this distinction after the Joint Commission conducted an on-site review in May. Studies have shown that many patients can expect to receive increased care and improved long term outcomes at dedicated stroke centers.

Each year about 700,000 people in the United States experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation's third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Georgia's death rate is 20% higher than the national average. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.

MCCG treats approximately 625 ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients from around Central Georgia each year, and this figure is expected to grow as more patients are transferred to the MCCG Stroke Center in order to access their stroke care services. Additionally, some acute stroke victims may benefit from the cutting-edge neuro-interventional services available at MCCG depending on the circumstances of their condition.

"The Medical Center of Central Georgia demonstrated that its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients," says Jean E. Range, MS, RN, CPHQ, executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission.

"We're proud to achieve this distinction," says Don Faulk, president and CEO of MCCG. "Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center Certification recognizes The Medical Center of Central Georgia's commitment to providing outstanding care to our patients and our community." To view more information about MCCG's Stroke Center, please visit www.strokemacon.com

The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association's statements/guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program-the nation's first-in 2003. A list of programs certified by the Joint Commission is available at www.jointcommission.org.

About Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more then 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. In addition, the Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about the Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.

About The Medical Center of Central Georgia
The Medical Center of Central Georgia (MCCG), an entity of Central Georgia Health System (CGHS), is a designated Level I Trauma Center and Magnet™ hospital for nursing serving the residents of Central and South Georgia with a primary and secondary service area of 28 counties and a population of nearly 750,000 people. The Medical Center has approximately 5,000 employees and a medical staff of more than 500 physicians. MCCG is the second largest hospital in Georgia with a capacity of 637 beds including medical-surgical, obstetric, pediatric, psychiatric, cardiac intensive care, neurology intensive care, pediatric intensive care, and cardiac surgery intensive care. Thirty-four beds are leased to Regency Hospital of Central Georgia, a long-term, acute-care facility. Central Georgia Rehabilitation Hospital, an entity of CGHS, partners with MCCG to provide a 58-bed, medical-rehabilitation hospital for pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients. MCCG is the primary academic hospital for Mercer University School of Medicine, providing residency programs for almost 100 residents. MCCG provides a broad range of community-based, outpatient diagnostic, primary care, urgent-care services, extensive home-health and hospice-care services, as well as comprehensive rehab services.

The Medical Center of Central Georgia...striving to make excellence a daily standard.