Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) announced today that Des Peres Hospital has been selected to the company’s 2007 Circle of Excellence.

The Circle of Excellence honors those Tenet hospitals that have performed at the highest levels in the past year in the areas of quality, service and operation performance. Key factors involved in the process include patient, physician and employee satisfaction scores, clinical quality scores and financial performance.

“The hard work and dedication of the employees at Des Peres Hospital made 2006 a great year for the hospital,” said Stephen Newman, M.D., Tenet’s chief operating officer. “I’m proud of all that they accomplished and am thrilled to honor them with Tenet’s Circle of Excellence Award.”

Dr. Newman also praised the hospital executive team, led by chief executive officer Michele C. Meyer, for their hard work and leadership in the past year. “Health care is a business that requires dedication, passion and strong leadership skills to achieve positive results. The executive team at Des Peres Hospital performed incredibly well in 2006, and I congratulate them on their successes.”

Des Peres Hospital once again ranked among the top 5 percent of hospitals in the nation for joint replacements by Health Grades, a leading national health care ratings organization. The hospital also was ranked in the top five hospitals in Missouri for overall orthopedic services and was rated the best hospital in the St. Louis Central Region for its spine surgery program.

The cardiology program at Des Peres Hospital was recognized as a center of excellence by United Health Care.