North Hollywood, Calif., Feb. 23, 2007 – IPC–The Hospitalist Company announced today that it is continuing its growth in northeastern Tennessee and surrounding areas with the acquisition of two hospitalist practices, Kingsport Consultants and Bristol Consultants. IPC began serving the area just less than one year ago when it acquired Inpatient Medicine Services (IMS). The acquired practices, headed by their Founder and President Donald R. Quinn, MD, MBA, include 14 healthcare providers, bringing the total IPC-Tennessee group to 35 healthcare providers serving the majority of healthcare facilities in the area.

“The addition of these two groups and their physician leaders to our growing IPC practice will strengthen the hospitalist services available to the communities we serve,” said Glenn Appelbaum, Executive Director of IPC-Tennessee. Dr. Quinn will join Dr. Brian Donovan as a Regional Director. Dr. Quinn will oversee IPC physicians working in hospitals of the Wellmont Health System while Dr. Donovan will maintain oversight for IPC practices within the Mountain States Health Alliance.

“Our practices view today’s announcement both as a new beginning and a renewed commitment to delivering high quality hospitalist medicine to the region,” said Dr. Quinn. “Today’s healthcare environment requires intensive resources for outcomes measurement, real-time clinical communication to improve patient safety and technology-based practice management tools to support physicians. IPC’s clinical communications systems and deep infrastructure will provide us with the critical support we need to continue to grow and increase the value we provide to local hospitals, physicians and patients.”

Dr. Donovan, the former owner and president of IMS prior to its acquisition by IPC last year, added that the additional providers in the group will continue the momentum that IPC-Tennessee has achieved in the area and support greater opportunities for hospitalists in the area. “Our combined practice offers depth and flexibility and provides a wide variety of choice for physicians from small community hospital environments to large, tertiary care facilities.”

About IPC–The Hospitalist Company

IPC-The Hospitalist  Company is the largest provider of hospitalist medicine in the United States.   Founded by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Adam Singer, M.D. in 1995, IPC manages hospitalist practices in nearly 200 locations across 14 states.  IPC delivers hospital-specific solutions to improve the quality of inpatient care and the satisfaction of medical and nursing staff. IPC provides physician-driven, locally-delivered inpatient care supported by its proprietary IPC-LINK® information technology and other corporate services such as billing and collections, provider recruitment, marketing, training and education.  IPC employs more than 600 healthcare providers and also offers selected services to non-IPC providers. For more information, visit www.hospitalist.com