Stockholders' Equity (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Stockholders' Equity & Comprehensive Income [Abstract]

Reconciliation of the carrying amount of total equity, equity attributable to the Company, and equity attributable to the noncontrolling interests

				Community Health Systems, Inc. Stockholders
	Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests			Common Stock			Additional Paid-in Capital			Treasury Stock			Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)			Retained Earnings		Noncontrolling Interests			Total Stockholders’ Equity
Balance, December 31, 2010	$	387,472		$	936		$	1,126,751		$	(6,678	)	$	(230,927	)	$	1,299,382	$	60,913		$	2,250,377
Comprehensive income:
Net income		39,085			—			—			—			—			171,017		14,401			185,418
Net change in fair value of interest rate swaps		—			—			—			—			30,199			—		—			30,199
Net change in fair value of available-for-sale securities		—			—			—			—			(2,692	)		—		—			(2,692	)
Amortization and recognition of unrecognized pension cost components		—			—			—			—			2,369			—		—			2,369
Total comprehensive income		39,085			—			—			—			29,876			171,017		14,401			215,294
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net of contributions		(34,321	)		—			—			—			—			—		(14,378	)		(14,378	)
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests		(2,322	)		—			(2,523	)		—			—			—		61			(2,462	)
Other reclassifications of noncontrolling interests		(2,128	)		—			—			—			—			—		—			—
Adjustment to redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests		(4,041	)		—			4,041			—			—			—		—			4,041
Repurchase of common stock		—			(32	)		(85,790	)		—			—			—		—			(85,822	)
Issuance of common stock in connection with the exercise of stock options		—			6			18,880			—			—			—		—			18,886
Cancellation of restricted stock for tax withholdings on vested shares		—			(3	)		(13,148	)		—			—			—		—			(13,151	)
Excess tax benefit from exercise of stock options		—			—			4,616			—			—			—		—			4,616
Share-based compensation		—			11			31,588			—			—			—		—			31,599
Balance, September 30, 2011	$	383,745		$	918		$	1,084,415		$	(6,678	)	$	(201,051	)	$	1,470,399	$	60,997		$	2,409,000

Effects of changes in the ownership interest in less-than-wholly-owned subsidiaries

	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2011
Net income attributable to Community Health Systems, Inc.	$	171,017
Transfers to the noncontrolling interests:
Net decrease in Community Health Systems, Inc. paid-in capital for purchase of subsidiary partnership interests		(2,523	)
Net transfers to the noncontrolling interests		(2,523	)
Change to Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders’ equity from net income attributable to Community Health Systems, Inc. and transfers to noncontrolling interests	$	168,494