8-K

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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                         ------------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
                       August 31, 2001 (August 27, 2001)

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                           PROVINCE HEALTHCARE COMPANY
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

            DELAWARE                       0-23639                62-1710772
(State or Other Jurisdiction of   (Commission File Number)      (IRS Employer
         Incorporation)                                      Identification No.)


         105 WESTWOOD PLACE
         SUITE 400
         BRENTWOOD, TENNESSEE                                       37027
         (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                 (Zip Code)

                                 (615) 370-1377
              (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)



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ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS

         Effective August 24, 2001, Province Healthcare Company through a
subsidiary entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of
the assets of Vaughan Regional Medical Center (the "Hospital") in Selma,
Alabama, from the Alabama nonprofit corporations Vaughan Regional Medical
Center, Inc. and Vaughan Healthcare, Inc. The Hospital is a 125-bed general
acute care facility with annualized revenues at May 31, 2001 of approximately
$38.0 million. The purchase price for the Hospital under the agreement is
approximately $28.0 million. It is anticipated that the acquisition will close
on October 1, 2001, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory
approvals.

         Under the agreement, Province will acquire the Hospital through a
newly-formed limited liability company ("LLC") subsidiary and will contribute to
the LLC the assets used in connection with Selma Regional Medical Center,
formerly known as Selma Baptist Hospital, a 214-bed general acute care facility
located approximately four miles away, which Province acquired on July 2, 2001.
Vaughan Regional Medical Center, Inc. will own a 1% membership interest in the
LLC.

         Province currently owns or leases 16 general acute care hospitals in 11
states with a total of 1,733 licensed beds. Province also provides management
services to 36 primarily non-urban hospitals in 13 states with a total of 2,981
licensed beds.

ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

         (a)      Exhibits

                  99.1 Copy of the press release, dated August 27, 2001,
                  announcing that Province executed a definitive agreement to
                  acquire substantially all of the assets and operations of
                  Vaughan Regional Medical Center in Selma, Alabama and
                  announcing that Province currently has three letters of intent
                  outstanding.

ITEM 9.  REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE

         Province recently signed a letter of intent to acquire an additional
acute care hospital, which brings the total number of letters of intent
currently outstanding to three. Each letter of intent is non-binding on the
parties to it and provides that the acquisition is subject to a number of
conditions, including Province's completion of due diligence and the negotiation
of a definitive acquisition agreement.


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                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                        PROVINCE HEALTHCARE COMPANY

                                        By:      /s/ Brenda B. Rector
                                             ---------------------------------
                                                 Brenda B. Rector
                                                 Vice President and Controller

Date:  August 31, 2001

EX-99.1

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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

                                              NEWS RELEASE
                                              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                              CONTACT:  MERILYN H. HERBERT
                                              VICE PRESIDENT, INVESTOR RELATIONS
                                              (615) 370-1377


                PROVINCE HEALTHCARE ANNOUNCES SECOND ACQUISITION
                                IN SELMA, ALABAMA

         Brentwood, TN, August 27, 2001 - Province Healthcare Company
(Nasdaq:PRHC) today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire
Vaughan Regional Medical Center in Selma, Alabama, from Vaughan Regional Medical
Center, Inc., a non-profit organization. Additionally, Province announced the
signing of one new Letter of Intent (LOI) bringing the total number of LOI's
outstanding again to three.

         Vaughan Regional Medical Center has 125 licensed beds and had
annualized revenues at May 31, 2001 of approximately $38.0 million. Under the
agreement, Province will acquire Vaughan Regional for approximately $28.0
million. The sale is expected to close on October 1, 2001, subject to standard
regulatory approvals.

         Province announced the acquisition of the other hospital in Selma,
Alabama, Selma Baptist Hospital, on July 2, 2001. Martin S. Rash, Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer of Province Healthcare, said, "We are very excited about
the merger of the two hospitals in Selma, Alabama. With combined revenues of
approximately $74.0 million and a service area population of close to 100,000,
we foresee a regional hospital, providing more intensive services to the large
area it will serve. We have begun the physician recruiting effort and expect to
add significantly to the number of quality physicians in the community."

         Province Healthcare is a provider of health care services in attractive
non-urban markets in the United States. The Company owns or leases 16 general
acute care hospitals in 11 states with a total of 1,733 licensed beds. The
Company also provides management services to 36 primarily non-urban hospitals in
13 states with a total of 2,981 licensed beds.

         Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in
this release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties
which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to differ
materially from forecasted results. Those risks include, among others, risks
associated with general economic and business conditions, the effect of future
governmental regulations, including the recently enacted Balanced Budget Act of
1997, changes in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement levels, and the Company's
ability to implement successfully its acquisition and development strategy and
to obtain financing therefore. Those and other risks are described in the
Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), copies of
which are available from the SEC or may be obtained upon request from the
Company.

CONTACT:  Merilyn H. Herbert, Province Healthcare Company (PRHC) at
          (615)370-1377