PREFERRED STOCK	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
PREFERRED STOCK [Abstract]
PREFERRED STOCK	NOTE 25 – PREFERRED STOCK On October 2, 2009, as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“TARP”) Capital Purchase Program, the Company entered into a Letter Agreement and Securities Purchase Agreement (collectively, the “Purchase Agreement”) with the United States Department of the Treasury (“U.S. Treasury”). Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Company issued and sold to the U.S. Treasury 22,252 shares of Fixed Rate Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A, no par value, with a liquidation preference of one thousand dollars per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and a ten-year warrant (the “Warrant”) to purchase 628,587 shares of the Company's common stock, no par value, at an exercise price of $5.31 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $22,252 in cash. Under standardized TARP Capital Purchase Program terms, cumulative dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock will accrue on the liquidation preference at a rate of 5% per annum until November 14, 2014, and at a rate of 9% per annum thereafter. These dividends will be paid only if, as and when declared by Premier's Board of Directors. The Series A Preferred Stock has no maturity date and ranks senior to the Company's common stock with respect to the payment of dividends and distributions and amounts payable upon liquidation, dissolution and winding up of Premier. Subject to the approval of the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement, which for Premier is the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), the Series A Preferred Stock is redeemable at the option of Premier at 100% of its liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends, without penalty, delay or the need to raise additional replacement capital. The Series A Preferred Stock is non-voting, but has class voting rights on (i) any authorization or issuance of shares ranking senior to the Series A Preferred Stock; (ii) any amendment to the rights of the Series A Preferred Stock; or (iii) any merger, consolidation, share exchange, reclassification or similar transaction which would adversely affect the rights of the Series A Preferred Stock. In the event that the cumulative dividends described above are not paid in full for an aggregate of six dividend periods or more, whether or not consecutive, the authorized number of directors of Premier would automatically be increased by two and the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock would have the right to elect two directors. The right to elect directors would end when dividends have been paid in full for four consecutive dividend periods. The U.S. Treasury has agreed not to exercise voting power with respect to any common stock issued to it upon exercise of the Warrant. The common stock will be issued from authorized but unissued common stock and thus will dilute the interests of existing Premier common shareholders. As of December 31, 2011, the Warrant has not yet been exercised. Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, the ability of the Company to declare or pay dividends or distributions on, or purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire for consideration, shares of its common stock will be subject to restrictions, including a restriction against increasing dividends from the last quarterly cash dividend per share ($0.11) declared on the common stock prior to October 2, 2009. The Purchase Agreement also subjects the Company to certain of the executive compensation limitations included in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (the “EESA”). In this connection, as a condition to the closing of the transaction, the Company's Senior Executive Officers (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) (the “Senior Executive Officers”), (i) voluntarily waived any claim against the U.S. Treasury or the Company for any changes to such officer's compensation or benefits that are required to comply with the regulation issued by the U.S. Treasury under the TARP Capital Purchase Program and acknowledged that the regulation may require modification of the compensation, bonus, incentive and other benefit plans, arrangements and policies and agreements as they relate to the period the U.S. Treasury owns the Preferred Stock of the Company; and (ii) entered into a letter with the Company amending the Benefit Plans with respect to such Senior Executive Officers as may be necessary, during the period that the Treasury owns the Preferred Stock of the Company, as necessary to comply with Section 111(b) of the EESA. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA”) passed by the United States Congress and signed by the President on February 17, 2009, provides that the U.S. Treasury, subject to consultation with the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency, must permit a TARP recipient to repay any assistance previously provided under TARP, without regard to whether the TARP recipient has replaced those funds from any other source or to any waiting period. As a result, subject to consultation with the Federal Reserve Board, the U.S. Treasury must permit Premier to redeem the Series A Preferred Stock at the appropriate redemption price without regard to whether the redemption price is to be paid from proceeds of a qualified equity offering or any other source or when the redemption date occurs. If the Series A Preferred Stock were redeemed, Premier has the right to repurchase the Warrant at its appraised value. If Premier chooses not to repurchase the Warrant, the U.S. Treasury must liquidate the related Warrant at the current market price.

On October 2, 2009, as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“TARP”) Capital Purchase Program, the Company entered into a Letter Agreement and Securities Purchase Agreement (collectively, the “Purchase Agreement”) with the United States Department of the Treasury (“U.S. Treasury”). Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Company issued and sold to the U.S. Treasury 22,252 shares of Fixed Rate Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A, no par value, with a liquidation preference of one thousand dollars per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and a ten-year warrant (the “Warrant”) to purchase 628,587 shares of the Company's common stock, no par value, at an exercise price of $5.31 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $22,252 in cash.

Under standardized TARP Capital Purchase Program terms, cumulative dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock will accrue on the liquidation preference at a rate of 5% per annum until November 14, 2014, and at a rate of 9% per annum thereafter. These dividends will be paid only if, as and when declared by Premier's Board of Directors. The Series A Preferred Stock has no maturity date and ranks senior to the Company's common stock with respect to the payment of dividends and distributions and amounts payable upon liquidation, dissolution and winding up of Premier. Subject to the approval of the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement, which for Premier is the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), the Series A Preferred Stock is redeemable at the option of Premier at 100% of its liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends, without penalty, delay or the need to raise additional replacement capital.

The Series A Preferred Stock is non-voting, but has class voting rights on (i) any authorization or issuance of shares ranking senior to the Series A Preferred Stock; (ii) any amendment to the rights of the Series A Preferred Stock; or (iii) any merger, consolidation, share exchange, reclassification or similar transaction which would adversely affect the rights of the Series A Preferred Stock. In the event that the cumulative dividends described above are not paid in full for an aggregate of six dividend periods or more, whether or not consecutive, the authorized number of directors of Premier would automatically be increased by two and the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock would have the right to elect two directors. The right to elect directors would end when dividends have been paid in full for four consecutive dividend periods.

The U.S. Treasury has agreed not to exercise voting power with respect to any common stock issued to it upon exercise of the Warrant. The common stock will be issued from authorized but unissued common stock and thus will dilute the interests of existing Premier common shareholders. As of December 31, 2011, the Warrant has not yet been exercised.

Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, the ability of the Company to declare or pay dividends or distributions on, or purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire for consideration, shares of its common stock will be subject to restrictions, including a restriction against increasing dividends from the last quarterly cash dividend per share ($0.11) declared on the common stock prior to October 2, 2009.

The Purchase Agreement also subjects the Company to certain of the executive compensation limitations included in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (the “EESA”). In this connection, as a condition to the closing of the transaction, the Company's Senior Executive Officers (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) (the “Senior Executive Officers”), (i) voluntarily waived any claim against the U.S. Treasury or the Company for any changes to such officer's compensation or benefits that are required to comply with the regulation issued by the U.S. Treasury under the TARP Capital Purchase Program and acknowledged that the regulation may require modification of the compensation, bonus, incentive and other benefit plans, arrangements and policies and agreements as they relate to the period the U.S. Treasury owns the Preferred Stock of the Company; and (ii) entered into a letter with the Company amending the Benefit Plans with respect to such Senior Executive Officers as may be necessary, during the period that the Treasury owns the Preferred Stock of the Company, as necessary to comply with Section 111(b) of the EESA.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA”) passed by the United States Congress and signed by the President on February 17, 2009, provides that the U.S. Treasury, subject to consultation with the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency, must permit a TARP recipient to repay any assistance previously provided under TARP, without regard to whether the TARP recipient has replaced those funds from any other source or to any waiting period. As a result, subject to consultation with the Federal Reserve Board, the U.S. Treasury must permit Premier to redeem the Series A Preferred Stock at the appropriate redemption price without regard to whether the redemption price is to be paid from proceeds of a qualified equity offering or any other source or when the redemption date occurs. If the Series A Preferred Stock were redeemed, Premier has the right to repurchase the Warrant at its appraised value. If Premier chooses not to repurchase the Warrant, the U.S. Treasury must liquidate the related Warrant at the current market price.