Item 1. Business of Community Health Systems, Inc.

Overview of Our Company

We are one of the largest publicly-traded operators of hospitals in the United States in terms of number of facilities and net operating revenues. We were originally founded in 1986 and were reincorporated in 1996 as a Delaware corporation. We provide healthcare services through the hospitals that we own and operate in non-urban and selected urban markets throughout the United States. As of December 31, 2011, we owned or leased 131 hospitals, including four stand-alone rehabilitation or psychiatric hospitals. These hospitals are geographically diversified across 29 states, with an aggregate of 19,695 licensed beds. We generate revenues by providing a broad range of general and specialized hospital healthcare services to patients in the communities in which we are located. Services provided by our hospitals include general acute care, emergency room, general and specialty surgery, critical care, internal medicine, obstetrics, diagnostic, psychiatric and rehabilitation services. As an integral part of providing these services, we also employ approximately 2,000 physicians and an additional 500 licensed healthcare practitioners, and provide additional outpatient services at urgent care centers, occupational medicine clinics, imaging centers, cancer centers, ambulatory surgery centers and home health and hospice agencies. Through our management and operation of these businesses, we provide standardization and centralization of operations across key business areas; strategic assistance to expand and improve services and facilities; implementation of patient safety and quality of care improvement programs; and assistance in the recruitment of additional physicians and licensed healthcare practitioners to the markets in which our hospitals are located. In a number of our markets, we have partnered with local physicians or not-for-profit providers, or both, in the ownership of our facilities. In addition to our hospitals and related businesses, we also own and operate 63 licensed home care agencies and 30 licensed hospice agencies, located primarily in markets where we also operate a hospital. Also, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Quorum Health Resources, LLC, or QHR, we provide management and consulting services to non-affiliated general acute care hospitals located throughout the United States. The home care agencies and the hospital management services businesses constitute operating segments, but are not considered reportable segments since they do not meet the quantitative thresholds for a separate identifiable reportable segment. The financial information for our reportable operating segments is presented in Note 14 of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements included under Item 8 of this Report.

Our strategy has also included growth by acquisition. We generally target hospitals in growing, non-urban and selected urban healthcare markets for acquisition because of their favorable demographic and economic trends and competitive conditions. Because non-urban service areas have smaller populations, there are generally fewer hospitals and other healthcare service providers in these communities and generally a lower level of managed care presence in these markets. We believe that smaller populations support less direct competition for hospital-based services and these communities generally view the local hospital as an integral part of the community. We believe opportunities exist for skilled, disciplined operators in selected urban markets to create networks between urban hospitals and non-urban hospitals while improving physician alignment in those markets and making it more attractive to managed care.

Throughout this Form 10-K, we refer to Community Health Systems, Inc., or the Parent Company, and its consolidated subsidiaries in a simplified manner and on a collective basis, using words like “we” and “our.” This drafting style is suggested by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and is not meant to indicate that the publicly-traded Parent Company or any other subsidiary of the Parent Company owns or operates any asset, business or property. The hospitals, operations and businesses described in this filing are owned and operated, and management services provided, by distinct and indirect subsidiaries of Community Health Systems, Inc.

Available Information

Our website address is www.chs.net and the investor relations section of our website is located at www.chs.net/investor/index.html. We make available free of charge, through the investor relations section of our website, annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K as well as amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practical after they are filed with the SEC. Our filings are also available to the public at the website maintained by the SEC, www.sec.gov.

1

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

We also make available free of charge, through the investor relations section of our website, our Governance Principles, our Code of Conduct and the charters of our Audit and Compliance Committee, Compensation Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee.

We have included the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer certifications regarding the public disclosure required by Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 as Exhibits 31.1, 31.2, 32.1 and 32.2 of this report.

Our Business Strategy

With the objective of increasing shareholder value and improving care, the key elements of our business strategy are to:

Increase Revenue at Our Facilities

Overview.  We seek to increase revenue at our facilities by providing a broader range of services in a more attractive care setting, as well as by supporting and recruiting physicians. We identify the healthcare needs of the community by analyzing demographic data and patient referral trends. We also work with local hospital boards, management teams and medical staffs to determine the number and type of additional physician specialties needed. Our initiatives to increase revenue include:

We believe that appropriate capital investments in our facilities, combined with the development of our service capabilities, will reduce the migration of patients to competing providers while providing an attractive return on investment.

Our industry is highly regulated by the government and other third parties who provide payment for the services we provide to patients. Accordingly, we seek to review all initiatives to increase revenue through our corporate-wide voluntary compliance program in an effort to ensure compliance with laws and regulation.

Physician Recruiting.  The primary method of adding or expanding medical services is the recruitment of new physicians into the community. A core group of primary care physicians is necessary as an initial contact point for all local healthcare. The addition of specialists who offer services, including general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, cardiovascular services, orthopedics and urology, completes the full range of medical and surgical services required to meet a community’s core healthcare needs. At the time we acquire a hospital and from time to time thereafter, we identify the healthcare needs of the community by analyzing demographic data and patient referral trends. As a result of this analysis, we are able to determine what we believe to be the optimum mix of primary care physicians and specialists. We employ recruiters at the corporate level to support the local hospital managers in their recruitment efforts. We have increased the number of physicians affiliated with us through our

2

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

recruiting efforts, net of turnover, by approximately 869 in 2011, 935 in 2010 and 772 in 2009. The percentage of recruited or other physicians commencing practice with us that were specialists was over 50% in 2011. Additionally, in response to the recent trend in physicians seeking employment, we have begun employing more physicians, including, in some instances, acquiring physician practices. However, most of the physicians in our communities remain in private practice and are not our employees. We believe we have been successful in recruiting physicians because of the practice opportunities afforded physicians in our markets, as well as lower managed care penetration as compared to larger urban areas.

Emergency Room Initiatives.  Approximately 60% of our patients initiate their encounter with our hospitals through the emergency room. Accordingly, we believe that making sure that this experience is as satisfying and efficient for the patient as it reasonably can be, but at the same time seeking to ensure that a safe and high quality service is provided to each patient, will in turn result in an optimized revenue stream and provide growth in services performed by our hospitals. We take numerous steps to seek to achieve these intertwined objectives, including:

One of our emergency room initiatives that spans our efforts across all three of these areas is the use of specialized emergency room information management software. Such software is designed to collect information to monitor the patients’ experience and care provided; assist nurses, physicians and other clinicians in communicating with each other about the clinical condition of the patients and provide consistent discharge instructions to patients. We believe that these information management systems enable our hospitals and their medical staffs to also monitor and seek to improve aggregate performance and patient outcomes. In addition, these information management systems are integral to our efforts to achieve “meaningful use” of electronic health records and qualify for and retain payments under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH Act.

Expansion of Services.  In an effort to better meet the healthcare needs of the communities we serve and to capture a greater portion of the healthcare spending in our markets, we have added a broad range of services to our facilities and, in certain markets, acquired physician practices to broaden our service offerings. These services range from various types of diagnostic equipment capabilities to additional and renovated emergency rooms, surgical and critical care suites and specialty services. For example, we spent approximately $203.7 million on 48 major construction projects that were completed in 2011. The 2011 projects included new emergency rooms, cardiac cathertization laboratories, intensive care units, hospital additions and surgical suites. These projects improved various diagnostic and other inpatient and outpatient service capabilities. We continue to believe that appropriate capital investments in our facilities, combined with the development of our service capabilities, will reduce the migration of patients to competing providers while providing an attractive return on investment. We also employ a small group of clinical consultants at our corporate headquarters to assist the hospitals in their development of surgery, emergency, critical care, cardiovascular and hospitalist services. In addition to spending capital on expanding services at our existing hospitals, we also build replacement facilities in certain markets to better meet the healthcare needs in those communities. In 2011, we spent $162.9 million on construction projects related to three replacement hospitals that we are required to build pursuant to either a hospital purchase agreement or an amendment to a lease agreement. In addition, in September 2010, we received approval of our request for a certificate of need, or CON, from the Alabama Certificate of Need Review Board for the construction of a replacement hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. This CON remains subject to an appeal process. The total cost of these four replacement hospitals is estimated to be $597.2 million.

3

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

Managed Care Strategy.  Managed care has seen growth across the U.S. as health plans expand service areas and membership in an attempt to control rising medical costs. As we service primarily non-urban markets, we do not have significant relationships with individual managed care organizations, including Medicare Advantage. We have responded with a proactive and carefully considered strategy developed specifically for each of our facilities. Our experienced corporate managed care department reviews and approves all managed care contracts, which are organized and monitored using a central database. The primary mission of this department is to select and evaluate appropriate managed care opportunities, manage existing reimbursement arrangements and negotiate increases. Generally, we do not intend to enter into capitated or risk sharing contracts. However, some purchased hospitals have risk sharing contracts at the time we acquire them. We seek to discontinue these contracts to eliminate risk retention related to payment for patient care. We do not believe that we have, at the present time, any risk sharing contracts that would have a material impact on our results of operations.

Improve Profitability

Overview.  To improve efficiencies and increase operating margins, we implement cost containment programs and adhere to operating philosophies that include:

In addition, each of our hospital management teams is supported by our centralized operational, reimbursement, regulatory and compliance expertise, as well as by our senior management team, a seasoned group of executives with an average of over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry.

Standardization and Centralization.  Our standardization and centralization initiatives encompass nearly every aspect of our business, from developing standard policies and procedures with respect to patient accounting and physician practice management to implementing standard processes to initiate, evaluate and complete construction projects. Our standardization and centralization initiatives are a key element in improving our operating results.

4

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

Case and Resource Management.  The primary goal of our case management program is to ensure the delivery of safe, high quality care in an efficient and cost effective manner. The program focuses on:

Our case management program integrates the functions of utilization review, discharge planning, assessment of medical necessity and resource management. Patients are assessed upon presentation to the hospital with ongoing reviews throughout their course of care. Industry standard criteria are utilized in patient assessments, and discharge plans are adjusted according to patient needs. Cases are monitored to prevent delays in service or unnecessary utilization of resources. When a patient is ready for discharge, a case manager works with the patient’s attending physician to evaluate and coordinate the patient’s needs for continued care in the post-acute setting. Each hospital has the support of a physician advisor to act as a liaison to the medical staff and assist with all the activities of the program.

Improve Patient Safety and Quality of Care

Each of our hospitals has a board of trustees, which includes members of the hospital’s medical staff. The board of trustees establishes policies concerning the hospital’s medical, professional, and ethical practices, monitors these practices, and is responsible for ensuring that these practices conform to legally required standards. We maintain quality assurance programs to support and monitor quality of care standards and to meet Medicare and Medicaid accreditation and regulatory requirements. Patient care evaluations and other quality of care assessment activities are reviewed and monitored continuously.

We have implemented various programs to support our hospitals in an effort to ensure continuous improvement in patient safety and the quality of care provided. We have developed training programs for all senior hospital management, chief nursing officers, quality directors, physicians and other clinical staff. We share information among our hospital management to implement best practices and assist in complying with regulatory requirements.

5

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

We have standardized our process for documenting compliance with accreditation requirements. All hospitals conduct patient, physician and staff satisfaction surveys to help identify methods of improving patient safety and the quality of care.

To ensure the experience of our emergency room patients meets our service and quality expectations, we have implemented a program to contact selected patients as a follow-up to the services they received. We verify that patients were able to obtain any prescriptions and outpatient appointments recommended at discharge. We also ensure that their symptoms have abated and that they understood the discharge instructions given at the hospital. Through this program, we placed in excess of one million follow-up calls in 2011.

In 2011, we established a component patient safety organization, or PSO, which was listed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality on January 11, 2012. We believe we are the first for-profit hospital company to form a component PSO and that it will assist us in improving patient safety at our hospitals.

Grow Through Selective Acquisitions

Acquisition Criteria.  Each year we intend to acquire, on a selective basis, approximately two to four hospitals that fit our acquisition criteria. Generally, we pursue acquisition candidates that:

Occasionally, we have pursued acquisition opportunities outside of our specified criteria when such opportunities have had uniquely favorable characteristics. In addition, in recent years, we have been successful in acquiring a few multi-hospital systems. In 2009, we acquired a total of three hospitals-two hospitals located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and one hospital in Siloam Springs, Arkansas-and purchased the remaining equity in a hospital located in El Dorado, Arkansas in which we previously had a noncontrolling interest. In 2010, we acquired five hospitals located in Marion, South Carolina; Youngstown, Ohio; Warren, Ohio and Bluefield, West Virginia and in 2011, we acquired four hospitals located in Scranton, Pennsylvania; Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania; Nanticoke, Pennsylvania and Tomball, Texas. We believe that our access to capital, reputation for providing quality care and ability to recruit physicians makes us an attractive partner for these communities.

Disciplined Acquisition Approach.  We believe that we have been disciplined in our approach to acquisitions. We have a dedicated team of internal and external professionals who complete a thorough review of the hospital’s financial and operating performance, the demographics and service needs of the market and the physical condition of the facilities. Based on our historical experience, we then build a pro forma financial model that reflects what we believe can be accomplished under our ownership. Whether we buy or lease the existing facility or agree to construct a replacement hospital, we believe we have been disciplined in our approach to pricing. We typically begin the acquisition process by entering into a non-binding letter of intent with an acquisition candidate. After we complete business and financial due diligence and financial modeling, we decide whether or not to enter into a definitive agreement. Once an acquisition is completed, we have an organized and systematic approach to transitioning and integrating the new hospital into our system of hospitals.

Acquisition Efforts.  Most of our acquisition targets are municipal or other not-for-profit hospitals. We believe that our access to capital, ability to recruit physicians and reputation for providing quality care make us an attractive partner for these communities. In addition, we have found that communities located in states where we already operate a hospital are more receptive to our acquiring their hospitals, because they are aware of our operating track record with respect to our other hospitals within the state.

6

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

At the time we acquire a hospital, we may commit to an amount of capital expenditures, such as a replacement facility, renovations, or equipment over a specified period of time. As obligations under two hospital purchase agreements in effect as of December 31, 2011, we are required to build a replacement facility in Valparaiso, Indiana by April 2011 and in Siloam Springs, Arkansas by February 2013. Due to delays in receiving government approved building and zoning permits, the replacement facility in Valparaiso, Indiana is not expected to be completed until the fourth quarter of 2012. These delays did not result in any penalties under the terms of the purchase agreement and we do not expect such delays to result in any significant increase in the costs to construct the replacement facility. Also, as required by an amendment to a lease agreement entered into in 2005, we agreed to build a replacement hospital at our Barstow, California location by November 2012. Estimated construction costs, including equipment costs, are approximately $317.2 million for these three replacement facilities, of which approximately $210.3 million has been incurred to date. In addition, in October 2008, after the purchase of the noncontrolling owner’s interest in our Birmingham, Alabama facility, we initiated the purchase of a site, which includes a partially constructed hospital structure, for a potential replacement for our existing Birmingham facility. In September 2010, we received approval of our request for a CON from the Alabama Certificate of Need Review Board; however, this CON remains subject to an appeal process. Our estimated construction costs, including the acquisition of the site and equipment costs, are approximately $280.0 million for the Birmingham replacement facility, of which approximately $3.5 million has been incurred to date. Under other purchase agreements in effect as of December 31, 2011, we have committed to spend $652.5 million, generally over a five to seven year period after acquisition, for costs such as capital improvements, equipment, selected leases and physician recruiting. Through December 31, 2011, we have incurred approximately $247.8 million related to these commitments.

Industry Overview

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, reported that in 2010 total U.S. healthcare expenditures grew by 3.9% to approximately $2.6 trillion. CMS also projected total U.S. healthcare spending to grow by 4.8% in 2011 and by an average of 5.8% annually from 2010 through 2020. By these estimates, healthcare expenditures will account for approximately $4.6 trillion, or 19.8% of the total U.S. gross domestic product, by 2020.

Hospital services, the market in which we operate, is the largest single category of healthcare at 31.4% of total healthcare spending in 2010, or approximately $814.0 billion, as reported by CMS. CMS projects the hospital services category to grow by at least 4.7% per year through 2020. It expects growth in hospital healthcare spending to continue due to the aging of the U.S. population and consumer demand for expanded medical services. As hospitals remain the primary setting for healthcare delivery, CMS expects hospital services to remain the largest category of healthcare spending.

U.S. Hospital Industry.  The U.S. hospital industry is broadly defined to include acute care, rehabilitation and psychiatric facilities that are either public (government owned and operated), not-for-profit private (religious or secular), or for-profit institutions (investor owned). According to the American Hospital Association, there are approximately 5,000 inpatient hospitals in the U.S. which are not-for-profit owned, investor owned, or state or local government owned. Of these hospitals, approximately 40% are located in non-urban communities. We believe that a majority of these hospitals are owned by not-for-profit or governmental entities. These facilities offer a broad range of healthcare services, including internal medicine, general surgery, cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, OB/GYN and emergency services. In addition, hospitals also offer other ancillary services, including psychiatric, diagnostic, rehabilitation, home care and outpatient surgery services.

Urban vs. Non-Urban Hospitals

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 21% of the U.S. population lives in communities designated as non-urban. In these non-urban communities, hospitals are typically the primary source of healthcare. In many cases a single hospital is the only provider of general healthcare services in these communities.

Factors Affecting Performance.  Among the many factors that can influence a hospital’s financial and operating performance are:

7

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

Patients needing the most complex care are more often served by the larger and/or more specialized urban hospitals. We believe opportunities exist in selected urban markets to create networks between urban hospitals and non-urban hospitals in order to expand the breadth of services offered in the non-urban hospitals while improving physician alignment in those markets and making it more attractive to managed care.

Hospital Industry Trends

Demographic Trends.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are presently approximately 40.3 million Americans aged 65 or older in the U.S. who comprise approximately 13.0% of the total U.S. population. By the year 2030, the number of Americans aged 65 or older is expected to climb to 72.1 million, or 19.3% of the total population. Due to the increasing life expectancy of Americans, the number of people aged 85 years and older is also expected to increase from 5.8 million to 8.7 million by the year 2030. This increase in life expectancy will increase demand for healthcare services and, as importantly, the demand for innovative, more sophisticated means of delivering those services. Hospitals, as the largest category of care in the healthcare market, will be among the main beneficiaries of this increase in demand. Based on data compiled for us, the populations of the service areas where our hospitals are located grew by 24.0% from 1990 to 2010 and are expected to grow by 3.9% from 2010 to 2015. The number of people aged 65 or older in these service areas grew by 27.4% from 1990 to 2010 and is expected to grow by 14.9% from 2010 to 2015.

Consolidation.  In addition to our own acquisitions in recent years, consolidation activity in the hospital industry, primarily through mergers and acquisitions involving both for-profit and not-for-profit hospital systems, is continuing. Reasons for this activity include:

The healthcare industry is also undergoing consolidation, first, in anticipation of, and second, in reaction to, efforts to reform the payment system. Hospital systems are acquiring physician practices and other outpatient and sub-acute providers to position themselves for readmission, bundling and other payment restructuring. Similarly, payors are consolidating and acquiring disease management service providers in an effort to offer more competitive programs.

8

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

Selected Operating Data

The following table sets forth operating statistics for our hospitals for each of the years presented, which are included in our continuing operations. Statistics for 2011 include a full year of operations for 127 hospitals and partial periods for four hospitals acquired during the year. Statistics for 2010 include a full year of operations for 122 hospitals and partial periods for five hospitals acquired during the year. Statistics for 2009 include a full year of operations for 118 hospitals and partial periods for three hospitals acquired during the year and one hospital in which we previously had a noncontrolling interest and purchased the remaining interest during the year. Statistics for hospitals which have been sold are excluded from all periods presented.

See pages 10 and 11 for footnotes.

9

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

Adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement of financial performance or liquidity under generally accepted accounting principles. It should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income, operating income, cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities, or any other measure calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The items excluded from adjusted EBITDA are significant components in understanding and evaluating financial performance and liquidity. Our calculation of adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

10

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

The following table reconciles adjusted EBITDA, as defined, to our net cash provided by operating activities as derived directly from our Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 (in thousands):

Sources of Revenue

We receive payment for healthcare services provided by our hospitals from:

11

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

The following table presents the approximate percentages of net operating revenues by payor source for the periods indicated. The data for the years presented are not strictly comparable due to the effect that hospital acquisitions have had on these statistics.

As shown above, we receive a substantial portion of our revenues from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Included in Managed Care and other third-party payors is net operating revenues from insurance companies with which we have insurance provider contracts, Medicare managed care, insurance companies for which we do not have insurance provider contracts, workers’ compensation carriers and non-patient service revenue, such as rental income and cafeteria sales. In the future, we generally expect revenues received from the Medicare and Medicaid programs to increase due to the general aging of the population. In addition, we expect the Reform Legislation (as defined below) to increase the number of insured patients, which should reduce revenues from self-pay patients and reduce our provision for bad debts. The Reform Legislation, however, imposes significant reductions in amounts the government pays Medicare managed care plans. Other provisions in the Reform Legislation impose minimum medical-loss ratios and require insurers to meet specific benefit requirements. In addition, specified managed care programs, insurance companies and employers are actively negotiating the amounts paid to hospitals. The trend toward increased enrollment in managed care may adversely affect our net operating revenue growth. There can be no assurance that we will retain our existing reimbursement arrangements or that these third-party payors will not attempt to further reduce the rates they pay for our services.

Medicare is a federal program that provides medical insurance benefits to persons age 65 and over, some disabled persons, and persons with end-stage renal disease. Medicaid is a federal-state funded program, administered by the states, which provides medical benefits to individuals who are unable to afford healthcare. All of our hospitals are certified as providers of Medicare and Medicaid services. Amounts received under the Medicare and Medicaid programs are generally significantly less than a hospital’s customary charges for the services provided. Since a substantial portion of our revenue comes from patients under Medicare and Medicaid programs, our ability to operate our business successfully in the future will depend in large measure on our ability to adapt to changes in these programs.

In addition to government programs, we are paid by private payors, which include insurance companies, HMOs, PPOs, other managed care companies, employers and by patients directly. Blue Cross payors are included in the “Managed Care and other third-party payors” line in the above table. Patients are generally not responsible for any difference between customary hospital charges and amounts paid for hospital services by Medicare and Medicaid programs, insurance companies, HMOs, PPOs and other managed care companies, but are responsible for services not covered by these programs or plans, as well as for deductibles and co-insurance obligations of their coverage. The amount of these deductibles and co-insurance obligations has increased in recent years. Collection of amounts due from individuals is typically more difficult than collection of amounts due from government or business payors. To further reduce their healthcare costs, an increasing number of insurance companies, HMOs, PPOs and other managed care companies are negotiating discounted fee structures or fixed amounts for hospital services performed, rather than paying healthcare providers the amounts billed. We negotiate discounts with managed care companies, which are typically smaller than discounts under governmental programs. If an increased number of insurance companies, HMOs, PPOs and other managed care companies succeed in negotiating discounted fee structures or fixed amounts, our results of operations may be negatively affected. For more information on the payment programs on which our revenues depend, see “Payment” on page 19.

12

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2011, Indiana, Texas and Pennsylvania represented our only areas of geographic concentration. Net operating revenues as a percentage of consolidated net operating revenues generated in Indiana were 10.3% in 2011, 10.6% in 2010 and 11.2% in 2009. Net operating revenues as a percentage of consolidated net operating revenues generated in Texas were 13.1% in 2011, 13.0% in 2010 and 13.2% in 2009. Net operating revenues as a percentage of consolidated net operating revenues generated in Pennsylvania were 11.5% in 2011, 10.3% in 2010 and 10.2% in 2009.

Hospital revenues depend upon inpatient occupancy levels, the volume of outpatient procedures and the charges or negotiated payment rates for hospital services provided. Charges and payment rates for routine inpatient services vary significantly depending on the type of service performed and the geographic location of the hospital. In recent years, we have experienced a significant increase in revenue received from outpatient services. We attribute this increase to:

Government Regulation

Overview.  The healthcare industry is required to comply with extensive government regulation at the federal, state and local levels. Under these regulations, hospitals must meet requirements to be certified as hospitals and qualified to participate in government programs, including the Medicare and Medicaid programs. These requirements relate to the adequacy of medical care, equipment, personnel, operating policies and procedures, maintenance of adequate records, hospital use, rate-setting, compliance with building codes and environmental protection laws. There are also extensive regulations governing a hospital’s participation in these government programs. If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we can be subject to criminal penalties and civil sanctions, our hospitals can lose their licenses and we could lose our ability to participate in these government programs. In addition, government regulations may change. If that happens, we may have to make changes in our facilities, equipment, personnel and services so that our hospitals remain certified as hospitals and qualified to participate in these programs. We believe that our hospitals are in substantial compliance with current federal, state and local regulations and standards.

Hospitals are subject to periodic inspection by federal, state and local authorities to determine their compliance with applicable regulations and requirements necessary for licensing and certification. All of our hospitals are licensed under appropriate state laws and are qualified to participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs. In addition, most of our hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. This accreditation indicates that a hospital satisfies the applicable health and administrative standards to participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Healthcare Reform.  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, or ARRA, was signed into law on February 17, 2009, providing for a temporary increase in the federal matching assistance percentage (FMAP), a temporary increase in federal Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital, or DSH, allotments, subsidization of health insurance premiums (COBRA) for up to nine months, and grants and loans for infrastructure and incentive payments for providers who adopt and use health information technology. This act also provides penalties by reducing reimbursement from Medicare in the form of reductions to scheduled market basket increases beginning in federal fiscal year 2015 if eligible hospitals and professionals fail to demonstrate meaningful use of electronic health record technology.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or PPACA, was signed into law on March 23, 2010. In addition, the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, or Reconciliation Act, which contains a number of amendments to PPACA, was signed into law on March 30, 2010. These two healthcare acts, referred to collectively as the Reform Legislation, include a mandate that requires substantially all U.S. citizens to maintain medical insurance coverage which will ultimately increase the number of persons with access to health insurance in the United States. The Reform Legislation should result in a reduction in uninsured patients, which should reduce

13

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

our expense from uncollectible accounts receivable; however, this legislation makes a number of other changes to Medicare and Medicaid, such as reductions to the Medicare annual market basket update for federal fiscal years 2010 through 2019, a productivity offset to the Medicare market basket update which began October 1, 2011, and a reduction to the Medicare and Medicaid disproportionate share payments, that could adversely impact the reimbursement received under these programs. The various provisions in the Reform Legislation that directly or indirectly affect reimbursement are scheduled to take effect over a number of years, and we cannot predict their impact at this time. Other provisions of the Reform Legislation, such as requirements related to employee health insurance coverage, should increase our operating costs.

Also included in the Reform Legislation are provisions aimed at reducing fraud, waste and abuse in the healthcare industry. These provisions allocate significant additional resources to federal enforcement agencies and expand the use of private contractors to recover potentially inappropriate Medicare and Medicaid payments. The Reform Legislation amends several existing federal laws, including the Medicare Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act, making it easier for government agencies and private plaintiffs to prevail in lawsuits brought against healthcare providers. These amendments also make it easier for potentially severe fines and penalties to be imposed on healthcare providers accused of violating applicable laws and regulations.

In a number of markets, we have partnered with local physicians in the ownership of our facilities. Such investments have been permitted under an exception to the physician self-referral law, or Stark Law, that allows physicians to invest in an entire hospital (as opposed to individual hospital departments). The Reform Legislation changes the “whole hospital” exception to the Stark Law. The Reform Legislation permits existing physician investments in a whole hospital to continue under a “grandfather” clause if the arrangement satisfies certain requirements and restrictions, but physicians became prohibited, from the time the Reform Legislation became effective, from increasing the aggregate percentage of their ownership in the hospital. The Reform Legislation also restricts the ability of existing physician-owned hospitals to expand the capacity of their facilities.

The impact of the Reform Legislation on each of our hospitals will vary depending on payor mix and a variety of other factors. We anticipate that many of the provisions in the Reform Legislation will be subject to further clarification and modification through the rule-making process, the development of agency guidance and judicial interpretations. Moreover, twenty-six state attorneys general have jointly filed a challenge to certain aspects of the Reform Legislation. Currently, rulings in four separate federal Courts of Appeals have led to a split among the federal Circuit Courts regarding the constitutionality of the Reform Legislation. The Fourth Circuit, Sixth Circuit and the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit have ruled in favor of the Reform Legislation while the Eleventh Circuit ruled the individual mandate within the Reform Legislation unconstitutional. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari on or about November 14, 2011 to hear the appeal of the Eleventh Circuit’s ruling, with oral argument set for March 26 through 28, 2012. The Supreme Court will hear oral argument on four issues: (1) does the Anti-Injunction Act bar a legal challenge to the individual mandate aspect of the Reform Legislation until that mandate takes effect in 2014; (2) is the individual mandate aspect of the Reform Legislation constitutional; (3) if not, is the individual mandate aspect of the Reform Legislation severable from the Reform Legislation as a whole such that it may be stricken without nullifying the Reform Legislation in its entirety and (4) can the states be compelled by the federal government to expand their Medicaid expenditures or risk losing federal funding if they refuse. We cannot predict the impact the Reform Legislation may have on our business, results of operations, cash flow, capital resources and liquidity or the ultimate outcome of the Supreme Court case. Furthermore, we cannot predict whether we will be able to modify certain aspects of our operations to offset any potential adverse consequences from the Reform Legislation.

Fraud and Abuse Laws.  Participation in the Medicare program is heavily regulated by federal statute and regulation. If a hospital fails substantially to comply with the requirements for participating in the Medicare program, the hospital’s participation in the Medicare program may be terminated and/or civil or criminal penalties may be imposed. For example, a hospital may lose its ability to participate in the Medicare program if it performs any of the following acts:

14

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, broadened the scope of the fraud and abuse laws. Under HIPAA, any person or entity that knowingly and willfully defrauds or attempts to defraud a healthcare benefit program, including private healthcare plans, may be subject to fines, imprisonment or both. Additionally, any person or entity that knowingly and willfully falsifies or conceals a material fact or makes any material false or fraudulent statements in connection with the delivery or payment of healthcare services by a healthcare benefit plan is subject to a fine, imprisonment or both.

Another law regulating the healthcare industry is a section of the Social Security Act, known as the “anti-kickback” statute. This law prohibits some business practices and relationships under Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs. These practices include the payment, receipt, offer, or solicitation of remuneration of any kind in exchange for items or services that are reimbursed under most federal or state healthcare programs. Violations of the anti-kickback statute may be punished by criminal and civil fines, exclusion from federal healthcare programs and damages up to three times the total dollar amount involved.

The Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, or OIG, is responsible for identifying and investigating fraud and abuse activities in federal healthcare programs. As part of its duties, the OIG provides guidance to healthcare providers by identifying types of activities that could violate the anti-kickback statute. The OIG also publishes regulations outlining activities and business relationships that would be deemed not to violate the anti-kickback statute. These regulations are known as “safe harbor” regulations. However, the failure of a particular activity to comply with the safe harbor regulations does not necessarily mean that the activity violates the anti-kickback statute.

The OIG has identified the following incentive arrangements as potential violations of the anti-kickback statute:

We have a variety of financial relationships with physicians who refer patients to our hospitals. Physicians own interests in a number of our facilities. Physicians may also own our stock. We also have contracts with physicians providing for a variety of financial arrangements, including employment contracts, leases, management agreements and professional service agreements. We provide financial incentives to recruit physicians to relocate to communities served by our hospitals. These incentives include relocation, reimbursement for certain direct expenses, income guarantees and, in some cases, loans. Although we believe that we have structured our

15

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

arrangements with physicians in light of the “safe harbor” rules, we cannot assure you that regulatory authorities will not determine otherwise. If that happens, we could be subject to criminal and civil penalties and/or exclusion from participating in Medicare, Medicaid, or other government healthcare programs.

The Social Security Act also includes a provision commonly known as the “Stark Law.” This law prohibits physicians from referring Medicare patients to healthcare entities in which they or any of their immediate family members have ownership interests or other financial arrangements. These types of referrals are commonly known as “self referrals.” Sanctions for violating the Stark Law include denial of payment, civil money penalties, assessments equal to twice the dollar value of each service and exclusion from government payor programs. There are ownership and compensation arrangement exceptions to the self-referral prohibition. One exception allows a physician to make a referral to a hospital if the physician owns an interest in the entire hospital, as opposed to an ownership interest in a department of the hospital. Another exception allows a physician to refer patients to a healthcare entity in which the physician has an ownership interest if the entity is located in a rural area, as defined in the statute. There are also exceptions for many of the customary financial arrangements between physicians and providers, including employment contracts, leases and recruitment agreements. From time to time, the federal government has issued regulations which interpret the provisions included in the Stark Law. The Reform Legislation changed the “whole hospital” exception to the Stark Law. The Reform Legislation permitted existing physician investments in a whole hospital to continue under a “grandfather” clause if the arrangement satisfies certain requirements and restrictions, but physicians became prohibited, from the time the Reform Legislation became effective, from increasing the aggregate percentage of their ownership in the hospital. The Reform Legislation also restricted the ability of existing physician-owned hospitals to expand the capacity of their aggregate licensed beds, operating rooms and procedure rooms. The whole hospital exception, as amended, also contains additional disclosure requirements. For example, a grandfathered physician-owned hospital is required to submit an annual report to the Department of Health and Human Services, or the DHHS, listing each investor in the hospital, including all physician owners. In addition, grandfathered physician-owned hospitals must have procedures in place that require each referring physician owner to disclose to patients, with enough notice for the patient to make a meaningful decision regarding receipt of care, the physician’s ownership interest and, if applicable, any ownership interest held by the treating physician. A grandfathered physician-owned hospital also must disclose on its web site and in any public advertising the fact that it has physician ownership. The Reform Legislation required grandfathered physician-owned hospitals to comply with these new requirements by September 23, 2011, and requires audits of the hospitals’ compliance beginning no later than May 1, 2012.

Sanctions for violating the Stark Law include denial of payment, civil monetary penalties of up to $15,000 per claim submitted and exclusion from federal healthcare programs. The statute also provides for a penalty of up to $100,000 for a scheme intended to circumvent the Stark Law prohibitions.

In addition to the restrictions and disclosure requirements applicable to physician-owned hospitals under the Stark Law, CMS regulations require physician-owned hospitals and their physician owners to disclose certain ownership information to patients. Physician-owned hospitals that receive referrals from physician owners must disclose in writing to patients that such hospitals are owned by physicians and that patients may receive a list of the hospitals’ physician investors upon request. Additionally, a physician-owned hospital must require all physician owners who are members of the hospital’s medical staff to agree, as a condition of continued medical staff membership or admitting privileges, to disclose in writing to all patients whom they refer to the hospital their (or an immediate family member’s) ownership interest in the hospital. A hospital is considered to be physician-owned if any physician, or an immediate family member of a physician, holds debt, stock or other types of investment in the hospital or in any owner of the hospital, excluding physician ownership through publicly-traded securities that meet certain conditions. If a hospital fails to comply with these regulations, the hospital could lose its Medicare provider agreement and be unable to participate in Medicare.

16

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

Evolving interpretations of current, or the adoption of new, federal or state laws or regulations could affect many of the arrangements entered into by each of our hospitals. In addition, law enforcement authorities, including the OIG, the courts and Congress are increasing scrutiny of arrangements between healthcare providers and potential referral sources to ensure that the arrangements are not designed as a mechanism to improperly pay for patient referrals and/or other business. Investigators also have demonstrated a willingness to look behind the formalities of a business transaction to determine the underlying purpose of payments between healthcare providers and potential referral sources.

Many states in which we operate have also adopted laws that prohibit payments to physicians in exchange for referrals similar to the federal anti-kickback statute or that otherwise prohibit fraud and abuse activities. Many states have also passed self-referral legislation similar to the Stark Law, prohibiting the referral of patients to entities with which the physician has a financial relationship. Often these state laws are broad in scope and may apply regardless of the source of payment for care. These statutes typically provide criminal and civil penalties, as well as loss of licensure. Little precedent exists for the interpretation or enforcement of these state laws.

Our operations could be adversely affected by the failure of our arrangements to comply with the anti-kickback statute, the Stark Law, billing laws and regulations, current state laws or other legislation or regulations in these areas adopted in the future. We are unable to predict whether other legislation or regulations at the federal or state level in any of these areas will be adopted, what form such legislation or regulations may take or how they may affect our operations. We are continuing to enter into new financial arrangements with physicians and other providers in a manner structured to comply in all material respects with these laws. We cannot assure you, however, that governmental officials responsible for enforcing these laws or whistleblowers will not assert that we are in violation of them or that such statutes or regulations ultimately will be interpreted by the courts in a manner consistent with our interpretation.

We strive to comply with the Stark Law and regulations; however, the government may interpret the law and regulations differently. If we are found to have violated the Stark Law or regulations, we could be subject to significant sanctions, including damages, penalties and exclusion from federal healthcare programs.

Federal False Claims Act and Similar State Laws.  Another trend affecting the healthcare industry today is the increased use of the federal False Claims Act, or FCA, and, in particular, actions being brought by individuals on the government’s behalf under the FCA’s “qui tam” or whistleblower provisions. Whistleblower provisions allow private individuals to bring actions on behalf of the government alleging that the defendant has defrauded the federal government. If the government intervenes in the action and prevails, the party filing the initial complaint may share in any settlement or judgment. If the government does not intervene in the action, the whistleblower plaintiff may pursue the action independently and may receive a larger share of any settlement or judgment. When a private party brings a qui tam action under the FCA, the defendant generally will not be made aware of the lawsuit until the government commences its own investigation or makes a determination whether it will intervene. Further, every entity that receives at least $5 million annually in Medicaid payments must have written policies for all employees, contractors or agents providing detailed information about false claims, false statements and whistleblower protections under certain federal laws, including the FCA, and similar state laws.

When a defendant is determined by a court of law to be liable under the FCA, the defendant must pay three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus mandatory civil penalties of between $5,500 and $11,000 for each separate false claim. Settlements entered into prior to litigation usually involve a less severe calculation of damages. There are many potential bases for liability under the FCA. Liability often arises when an entity knowingly submits a false claim for reimbursement to the federal government. The FCA broadly defines the term “knowingly.” Although simple negligence will not give rise to liability under the FCA, submitting a claim with reckless disregard to its truth or falsity can constitute “knowingly” submitting a false claim and result in liability. In some cases, whistleblowers, the federal government and courts have taken the position that providers who allegedly have violated other statutes, such as the anti-kickback statute or the Stark Law, have thereby submitted false claims under the FCA. The Reform Legislation clarifies this issue with respect to the anti-kickback statute by providing that submission of a claim for an item or service generated in violation of the anti-kickback statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim under the FCA. The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009 expanded the scope of the FCA by, among other things, creating liability for knowingly and improperly avoiding repayment of an overpayment received from the government and broadening protections for whistleblowers. Under the Reform Legislation, the

17

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

FCA is implicated by the knowing failure to report and return an overpayment within 60 days of identifying the overpayment or by the date a corresponding cost report is due, whichever is later. Further, the FCA will cover payments involving federal funds in connection with the new health insurance exchanges to be created pursuant to the Reform Legislation. Even if the FCA is not implicated and a mistake is made in the submission of claims, substantial financial liability can arise with respect to any overpayments. There is a notable gap in the time periods for which overpayments may be recouped by the government but for which corrected claims can be submitted.

A number of states, including states in which we operate, have adopted their own false claims provisions as well as their own whistleblower provisions whereby a private party may file a civil lawsuit in state court. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 created an incentive for states to enact false claims laws that are comparable to the FCA. From time to time, companies in the healthcare industry, including ours, may be subject to actions under the FCA or similar state laws.

Corporate Practice of Medicine; Fee-Splitting.  Some states have laws that prohibit unlicensed persons or business entities, including corporations, from employing physicians. Some states also have adopted laws that prohibit direct or indirect payments or fee-splitting arrangements between physicians and unlicensed persons or business entities. Possible sanctions for violations of these restrictions include loss of a physician’s license, civil and criminal penalties and rescission of business arrangements. These laws vary from state to state, are often vague and have seldom been interpreted by the courts or regulatory agencies. We structure our arrangements with healthcare providers to comply with the relevant state law. However, we cannot be assured that governmental officials responsible for enforcing these laws will not assert that we, or transactions in which we are involved, are in violation of these laws. These laws may also be interpreted by the courts in a manner inconsistent with our interpretations.

Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.  The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act imposes requirements as to the care that must be provided to anyone who comes to facilities providing emergency medical services seeking care before they may be transferred to another facility or otherwise denied care. Sanctions for failing to fulfill these requirements include exclusion from participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs and civil money penalties. In addition, the law creates private civil remedies which enable an individual who suffers personal harm as a direct result of a violation of the law to sue the offending hospital for damages and equitable relief. A medical facility that suffers a financial loss as a direct result of another participating hospital’s violation of the law also has a similar right. Although we believe that our practices are in compliance with the law, we can give no assurance that governmental officials responsible for enforcing the law or others will not assert we are in violation of these laws.

Conversion Legislation.  Many states, including some where we have hospitals and others where we may in the future acquire hospitals, have adopted legislation regarding the sale or other disposition of hospitals operated by not-for-profit entities. In other states that do not have specific legislation, the attorneys general have demonstrated an interest in these transactions under their general obligations to protect charitable assets from waste. These legislative and administrative efforts primarily focus on the appropriate valuation of the assets divested and the use of the proceeds of the sale by the not-for-profit seller. While these reviews and, in some instances, approval processes can add additional time to the closing of a hospital acquisition, we have not had any significant difficulties or delays in completing the process. There can be no assurance, however, that future actions on the state level will not seriously delay or even prevent our ability to acquire hospitals. If these activities are widespread, they could limit our ability to acquire hospitals.

Certificates of Need.  The construction of new facilities, the acquisition of existing facilities and the addition of new services at our facilities may be subject to state laws that require prior approval by state regulatory agencies. These CON laws generally require that a state agency determine the public need and give approval prior to the construction or acquisition of facilities or the addition of new services. As of December 31, 2011, we operated 57 hospitals in 16 states that have adopted CON laws for acute care facilities. If we fail to obtain necessary state approval, we will not be able to expand our facilities, complete acquisitions or add new services in these states. Violation of these state laws may result in the imposition of civil sanctions or the revocation of a hospital’s licenses.

HIPAA Administrative Simplification and Privacy and Security Requirements.  HIPAA requires the use of uniform electronic data transmission standards for healthcare claims and payment transactions submitted or received electronically. These provisions are intended to encourage electronic commerce in the healthcare industry. The

18

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

DHHS has established electronic data transmission standards that all healthcare providers must use when submitting or receiving certain healthcare transactions electronically. In addition, HIPAA requires that each provider use a National Provider Identifier. In January 2009, CMS published a final rule making changes to the formats used for certain electronic transactions and requiring the use of updated standard code sets for certain diagnoses and procedures known as ICD-10 code sets. Although use of the ICD-10 code sets is not mandatory until October 1, 2013, we will be modifying our payment systems and processes to prepare for their implementation. Use of the ICD-10 code sets will require significant changes; however, we believe that the cost of compliance with these regulations has not had and is not expected to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position or results of operations. The Reform Legislation requires the DHHS to adopt standards for additional electronic transactions and to establish operating rules to promote uniformity in the implementation of each standardized electronic transaction.

As required by HIPAA, the DHHS has issued privacy and security regulations that extensively regulate the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health-related information and require healthcare providers to implement administrative, physical and technical practices to protect the security of individually identifiable health information that is electronically maintained or transmitted. ARRA broadens the scope of the HIPAA privacy and security regulations. In addition, ARRA extends the application of certain provisions of the security and privacy regulations to business associates (entities that handle identifiable health-related information on behalf of covered entities) and subjects business associates to civil and criminal penalties for violation of the regulations. On July 14, 2010, the DHHS issued a proposed rule that would implement these ARRA provisions. If finalized, these changes would likely require amendments to existing agreements with business associates and would subject business associates and their subcontractors to direct liability under the HIPAA privacy and security regulations. We have developed and utilize a HIPAA compliance plan as part of our effort to comply with HIPAA privacy and security requirements. The privacy regulations and security regulations have and will continue to impose significant costs on our facilities in order to comply with these standards.

As required by ARRA, the DHHS published an interim final rule on August 24, 2009, that requires covered entities to report breaches of unsecured protected health information to affected individuals without unreasonable delay, but not to exceed 60 days of discovery of the breach by the covered entity or its agents. Notification must also be made to the DHHS and, in certain situations involving large breaches, to the media. Various state laws and regulations may also require us to notify affected individuals in the event of a data breach involving individually identifiable information.

Violations of the HIPAA privacy and security regulations may result in civil and criminal penalties, and ARRA has strengthened the enforcement provisions of HIPAA, which may result in increased enforcement activity. Under ARRA, the DHHS is required to conduct periodic compliance audits of covered entities and their business associates. ARRA broadens the applicability of the criminal penalty provisions to employees of covered entities and requires the DHHS to impose penalties for violations resulting from willful neglect. ARRA significantly increases the amount of the civil penalties, with penalties of up to $50,000 per violation for a maximum civil penalty of $1,500,000 in a calendar year for violations of the same requirement. Further, ARRA authorizes state attorneys general to bring civil actions seeking either injunction or damages in response to violations of HIPAA privacy and security regulations that threaten the privacy of state residents. Our facilities also are subject to any federal or state privacy-related laws that are more restrictive than the privacy regulations issued under HIPAA. These laws vary and could impose additional penalties.

Payment

Medicare.  Under the Medicare program, we are paid for inpatient and outpatient services performed by our hospitals.

Payments for inpatient acute services are generally made pursuant to a prospective payment system, commonly known as “PPS.” Under PPS, our hospitals are paid a predetermined amount for each hospital discharge based on the patient’s diagnosis. Specifically, each discharge is assigned to a diagnosis-related group, commonly known as a “DRG,” based upon the patient’s condition and treatment during the relevant inpatient stay. Commencing with the federal fiscal year 2009 (i.e., the federal fiscal year beginning October 1, 2008), each DRG is assigned a payment rate using 100% of the national average cost per case and 100% of the severity adjusted DRG weights. DRG payments are based on national averages and not on charges or costs specific to a hospital. Severity adjusted DRGs

19

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

more accurately reflect the costs a hospital incurs for caring for a patient and account more fully for the severity of each patient’s condition. However, DRG payments are adjusted by a predetermined geographic adjustment factor assigned to the geographic area in which the hospital is located. While a hospital generally does not receive payment in addition to a DRG payment, hospitals may qualify for an “outlier” payment when the relevant patient’s treatment costs are extraordinarily high and exceed a specified regulatory threshold.

The DRG payment rates are adjusted by an update factor on October 1 of each year, the beginning of the federal fiscal year. The index used to adjust the DRG payment rates, known as the “market basket index,” gives consideration to the inflation experienced by hospitals in purchasing goods and services. DRG payment rates were increased by the full “market basket index,” for the federal fiscal years 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009, by 3.0%, 2.6%, 2.1% and 3.6%, respectively. In addition, the DRG payment rates were reduced by 0.25% on April 1, 2010 and by 0.25% on October 1, 2010, as mandated by the Reform Legislation. The DRG payment rates were also reduced by 2.9% for federal fiscal year 2011 for behavioral changes in coding practices related to MS-DRG. In addition, for federal fiscal year 2012, the DRG payment rates were reduced by 1% for the multi-factor productivity adjustment; reduced by 0.1% in accordance with the Reform Legislation; reduced by 2% for documentation and coding; and increased by 1.1% as a result of the decision in Cape Cod Hospital v. Sebelius. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 imposed a two percentage point reduction to the market basket index beginning October 1, 2007, and each year thereafter, if patient quality data is not submitted. We are complying with this data submission requirement. Future legislation may decrease the rate of increase for DRG payments or even decrease such payment rates, but we are not able to predict the amount of any reduction or the effect that any reduction will have on us.

In addition, hospitals may qualify for Medicare disproportionate share payments when their percentage of low income patients exceeds specified regulatory thresholds. A majority of our hospitals qualify to receive Medicare disproportionate share payments. For the majority of our hospitals that qualify to receive Medicare disproportionate share payments, these payments were increased by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 effective April 1, 2004. These Medicare disproportionate share payments as a percentage of net operating revenues were 1.5%, 1.6% and 1.6% for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Beginning August 1, 2000, we began receiving Medicare reimbursement for outpatient services through a PPS. Under the Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999, non-urban hospitals with 100 beds or less were held harmless. The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act extended the hold harmless provision for non-urban hospitals with 100 beds or less, including non-urban sole community hospitals, through December 31, 2009, at 85% of the hold harmless amount. Of our 125 hospitals at December 31, 2009, 44 qualified for this relief. The Reform Legislation extended the hold harmless provision for non-urban hospitals with 100 beds or less, including non-urban sole community hospitals, through December 31, 2010. Of our 130 hospitals at December 31, 2010, 46 qualified for this relief. The Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act of 2010 extended the hold harmless provision for non-urban hospitals with 100 beds or less, including non-urban sole community hospitals, through December 31, 2011. Of our 131 hospitals at December 31, 2011, 45 qualified for this relief. The outpatient conversion factor was increased 3.6% effective January 1, 2009; however, coupled with adjustments to other variables with outpatient PPS, an approximate 3.5% to 3.9% net increase in outpatient payments occurred. The outpatient conversion factor was increased 2.1% effective January 1, 2010; however, coupled with adjustments to other variables with outpatient PPS, an approximate 1.8% to 2.2% net increase in outpatient payments occurred. The outpatient conversion factor was increased 2.35% effective January 1, 2011; however, coupled with adjustments to other variables with outpatient PPS, an approximate 2.1% to 2.5% net increase in outpatient payments occurred. The outpatient conversion factor was increased 3.0 % effective January 1, 2012; however, coupled with adjustments to other variables with outpatient PPS, an approximate 2.1% to 2.5% net increase in outpatient payments is expected to occur. The Medicare Improvements and Extension Act of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 imposed a two percentage point reduction to the market basket index beginning January 1, 2009, and each year thereafter, if patient quality data is not submitted. We are complying with this data submission requirement.

The DHHS established a PPS for home health services (i.e., home care) effective October 1, 2000. The home health agency PPS per episodic payment rate increased by 2.9% on January 1, 2009; however, coupled with adjustments to other variables with home health agency PPS, an approximate 0.2% net increase in home health agency payments occurred. The home health agency PPS per episodic payment rate increased 2.0% on January 1, 2010; however, coupled with adjustments to other variables with home health agency PPS, an approximate 2.3% net

20

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

increase in home health agency payments occurred. The home health agency PPS per episodic payment rate increased 1.1% on January 1, 2011; however, coupled with adjustments to other variables with home health agency PPS, an approximate 4.9% net decrease in home health agency payments occurred. The home health agency PPS per episodic payment rate increased 2.4% on January 1, 2012; however, coupled with adjustments to other variables with home health agency PPS, an approximate 2.31% net decrease in home health agency payments is expected to occur. The Reform Legislation increases the home health agency PPS per episodic payment rate by 3.0% for home health services provided to patients in rural areas on or after April 1, 2010 through December 31, 2016. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 imposed a two percentage point reduction to the market basket index beginning January 1, 2007, and each year thereafter, if patient quality data is not submitted. We are complying with this data submission requirement.

Medicaid.  Most state Medicaid payments are made under a PPS or under programs which negotiate payment levels with individual hospitals. Medicaid is currently funded jointly by state and federal government. The federal government and many states are currently considering significantly reducing Medicaid funding, while at the same time expanding Medicaid benefits. Currently, several states utilize supplemental reimbursement programs for the purpose of providing reimbursement to providers to offset a portion of the cost of providing care to Medicaid and indigent patients. These programs are designed with input from CMS and are funded with a combination of state and federal resources, including, in certain instances, fees or taxes levied on the providers. Similar programs are also being considered by other states. We can provide no assurance that reductions to Medicaid fundings will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations.

Annual Cost Reports.  Hospitals participating in the Medicare and some Medicaid programs, whether paid on a reasonable cost basis or under a PPS, are required to meet specified financial reporting requirements. Federal and, where applicable, state regulations require submission of annual cost reports identifying medical costs and expenses associated with the services provided by each hospital to Medicare beneficiaries and Medicaid recipients.

Annual cost reports required under the Medicare and some Medicaid programs are subject to routine governmental audits. These audits may result in adjustments to the amounts ultimately determined to be due to us under these reimbursement programs. Finalization of these audits often takes several years. Providers can appeal any final determination made in connection with an audit. DRG outlier payments have been and continue to be the subject of CMS audit and adjustment. The DHHS OIG is also actively engaged in audits and investigations into alleged abuses of the DRG outlier payment system.

Commercial Insurance and Managed Care Companies.  Our hospitals provide services to individuals covered by private healthcare insurance or by health plans administered by managed care companies. These payors pay our hospitals or in some cases reimburse their policyholders based upon the hospital’s established charges and the coverage provided in the insurance policy. They try to limit the costs of hospital services by negotiating discounts, including PPS, which would reduce payments by commercial insurers or health plans to our hospitals. Commercial insurers and Managed Care companies also seek to reduce payments to hospitals by establishing payment rules that in effect recharacterize the services ordered by physicians. For example, some payors vigorously review each patient’s length of stay in the hospital and recharacterize as outpatient all in-patient stays of less than a particular duration (e.g. 24 hours). Reductions in payments for services provided by our hospitals to individuals covered by these payors could adversely affect us.

Supply Contracts

In March 2005, we began purchasing items, primarily medical supplies, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, under an agreement with HealthTrust, a GPO in which we are a noncontrolling partner. Triad Hospitals, Inc., or Triad, was also a noncontrolling partner in HealthTrust and we acquired Triad’s ownership interest and contractual rights when we acquired Triad. As of December 31, 2011, we have a 17.6% ownership interest in HealthTrust. By participating in this organization, we are able to procure items at competitively priced rates for our hospitals. There can be no assurance that our arrangement with HealthTrust will continue to provide the discounts that we have historically received.

21

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

Competition

The hospital industry is highly competitive. An important part of our business strategy is to continue to acquire hospitals in non-urban markets and selected urban markets. However, other for-profit hospital companies and not-for-profit hospital systems generally attempt to acquire the same type of hospitals as we do. In addition, some hospitals are sold through an auction process, which may result in higher purchase prices than we believe are reasonable.

In addition to the competition we face for acquisitions, we must also compete with other hospitals and healthcare providers for patients. The competition among hospitals and other healthcare providers for patients has intensified in recent years. Our hospitals are located in non-urban and selected urban service areas. Those hospitals in non-urban service areas face no direct competition because there are no other hospitals in their primary service areas. However, these hospitals do face competition from hospitals outside of their primary service area, including hospitals in urban areas that provide more complex services. Patients in those service areas may travel to these other hospitals for a variety of reasons, including the need for services we do not offer or physician referrals. Patients who are required to seek services from these other hospitals may subsequently shift their preferences to those hospitals for services we do provide. Those hospitals in selected urban service areas may face competition from hospitals that are more established than our hospitals. Certain of these competing facilities offer services, including extensive medical research and medical education programs, which are not offered by our facilities. In addition, in certain markets where we operate, there are large teaching hospitals that provide highly specialized facilities, equipment and services that may not be available at our hospitals.

Some of our hospitals operate in primary service areas where they compete with another hospital. Some of these competing hospitals use equipment and services more specialized than those available at our hospitals and/or are owned by tax-supported governmental agencies or not-for-profit entities supported by endowments and charitable contributions. These hospitals do not pay income or property taxes, and can make capital expenditures without paying sales tax. We also face competition from other specialized care providers, including outpatient surgery, orthopedic, oncology and diagnostic centers.

The number and quality of the physicians on a hospital’s staff is an important factor in a hospital’s competitive position. Physicians decide whether a patient is admitted to the hospital and the procedures to be performed. Admitting physicians may be on the medical staffs of other hospitals in addition to those of our hospitals. We attempt to attract our physicians’ patients to our hospitals by offering quality services and facilities, convenient locations and state-of-the-art equipment.

Compliance Program

We take an operations team approach to compliance and utilize corporate experts for program design efforts and facility leaders for employee-level implementation. We believe compliance is another area that demonstrates our utilization of standardization and centralization techniques and initiatives which yield efficiencies and consistency throughout our facilities. We recognize that our compliance with applicable laws and regulations depends on individual employee actions as well as company operations. Our approach focuses on integrating compliance responsibilities with operational functions. This approach is intended to reinforce our company-wide commitment to operate strictly in accordance with the laws and regulations that govern our business.

Our company-wide compliance program has been in place since 1997. Currently, the program’s elements include leadership, management and oversight at the highest levels, a Code of Conduct, risk area specific policies and procedures, employee education and training, an internal system for reporting concerns, auditing and monitoring programs and a means for enforcing the program’s policies.

Since its initial adoption, the compliance program continues to be expanded and developed to meet the industry’s expectations and our needs. Specific written policies, procedures, training and educational materials and programs, as well as auditing and monitoring activities, have been prepared and implemented to address the functional and operational aspects of our business. Included within these functional areas are materials and activities for business sub-units, including laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, emergency, surgery, observation, home care, skilled nursing and clinics. Specific areas identified through regulatory interpretation and enforcement activities have also been

22

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements

addressed in our program. Claims preparation and submission, including coding, billing and cost reports, comprise the bulk of these areas. Financial arrangements with physicians and other referral sources, including compliance with the federal anti-kickback statute and the Stark Law, emergency department treatment and transfer requirements and other patient disposition issues, are also the focus of policy and training, standardized documentation requirements and review and audit. Another focus of the program is the interpretation and implementation of the HIPAA standards for privacy and security.

We have a Code of Conduct which applies to all directors, officers, employees and consultants, and a confidential disclosure program to enhance the statement of ethical responsibility expected of our employees and business associates who work in the accounting, financial reporting and asset management areas of our Company. Our Code of Conduct is posted on our website at www.chs.net/company_overview/code_conduct.html.

Employees

At December 31, 2011, we employed approximately 66,000 full-time employees and 22,000 part-time employees. We have approximately 8,000 employees who are union members. We currently believe that our labor relations are good.

Professional Liability Claims

As part of our business of owning and operating hospitals, we are subject to legal actions alleging liability on our part. To cover claims arising out of the operations of hospitals, we maintain professional malpractice liability insurance and general liability insurance on a claims made basis in excess of those amounts for which we are self-insured, in amounts we believe to be sufficient for our operations. We also maintain umbrella liability coverage for claims which, due to their nature or amount, are not covered by our other insurance policies. However, our insurance coverage does not cover all claims against us or may not continue to be available at a reasonable cost for us to maintain adequate levels of insurance. For a further discussion of our insurance coverage, see our discussion of professional liability claims in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7 of this Report.

Environmental Matters

We are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the use, discharge and disposal of hazardous materials, including medical waste products. Compliance with these laws and regulations is not expected to have a material adverse effect on us. It is possible, however, that environmental issues may arise in the future which we cannot now predict.

We are insured for damages of personal property or environmental injury arising out of environmental impairment for both above ground and underground storage tank issues under one insurance policy for all of our hospitals. Our policy coverage is $5 million per occurrence with a $50,000 deductible and a $20 million annual aggregate. This policy also provides pollution legal liability coverage.

23

Table of Contents

Index to Financial Statements