After that, the hospital corporation would essentially be on its own.

Last year, the hospitals corporation paid $505 million to private medical schools to provide staff for the public hospital system.

Hospital Corporation said the sales would help pay off $1.3 billion in debt due within two years.

The hospital and the hospitals corporation knew where the materials were, he said.

He is a vice president for medical operations of the hospitals corporation.

If service isn't better soon, the hospitals corporation's top management should be dismissed, he said.

With 50,000 employees and a $3.8 billion budget, the hospital corporation is a major economic force in some of the poorest communities.

The hospital corporation refused to name the patient, but said the case was a high-profile one.

In 1980, Hospital Corporation bought the company for $78 million.

Hospital Corporation has $3.2 billion in debt and 82 million common shares outstanding.