HealthSouth Corporation today announced that it has appointed Mary Ann Arico as Senior Vice President - Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, effective August 1, 2008. Ms. Arico will join HealthSouth from Mirant Corporation , an energy company that produces and sells electricity in the United States.

In this new role, Ms. Arico will be responsible for corporate communications across a broad array of key constituents -- including existing and prospective shareholders, analysts and the media. She will report to Jay Grinney, HealthSouth's President and CEO.

"Mary Ann brings extensive experience to HealthSouth and we are delighted to have her join the senior management team," Mr. Grinney said. "Mary Ann will have responsibility for enhancing our relationships among existing and prospective shareholders and analysts as well as helping to ensure that our value proposition as the country's preeminent provider of inpatient rehabilitation services is well understood by all of our constituencies."

Prior to joining Mirant, Ms. Arico served as Director Investor Relations at Duke Energy, Inc. and Eastman Chemical Company. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Pepperdine University.

About HealthSouth

HealthSouth is the nation's largest provider of inpatient rehabilitation services. Operating in 26 states across the country and in Puerto Rico, HealthSouth serves more than 250,000 patients annually through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation satellites, and home health agencies. HealthSouth strives to be the health care company of choice for its patients, employees, physicians and shareholders and can be found on the Web at www.healthsouth.com .

Statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. In addition, HealthSouth, through its senior management, may from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. All such estimates, projections, and forward-looking information speak only as of the date hereof, and HealthSouth undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. HealthSouth's actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. While it is impossible to identify all such factors, factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated by HealthSouth include, but are not limited to, any adverse outcome of various lawsuits, claims, and legal or regulatory proceedings that may be brought against us or any adverse outcome relating to the settlement of the federal securities class action previously disclosed by us; significant changes in HealthSouth's management team; HealthSouth's ability to continue to operate in the ordinary course and manage its relationships with its creditors, including its lenders, bondholders, vendors and suppliers, employees, and customers; changes, delays in, or suspension of reimbursement for HealthSouth's services by governmental or private payors; changes in the regulation of the healthcare industry at either or both of the federal and state levels; competitive pressures in the healthcare industry and HealthSouth's response thereto; HealthSouth's ability to obtain and retain favorable arrangements with third- party payors; HealthSouth's ability to attract and retain nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals in a highly competitive environment with often severe staffing shortages; general conditions in the economy and capital markets; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in the Company's SEC filings and other public announcements, including HealthSouth's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.

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SOURCE: HealthSouth Corporation