Announced Actions for November 13, 1996

The Federal Trade Commission today announced the following actions.

Applications for approval of transactions: The FTC has received an application for approval for a transaction from the following. The FTC is seeking public comments on the application for 30 days, until Dec. 13.

• Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation, of Nashville, Tennessee, has applied for FTC approval to divest the Poplar Springs Hospital in Petersburg, Virginia, to PSH Acquisition Corporation, a Virginia corporation formed for the purpose of acquiring the hospital. PSH is owned by Poplar Springs Hospital's CEO and CFO, four physicians who practice at the hospital and four individuals from Willamette Capital, Inc., an investment banking organization. Divestiture of this psychiatric hospital is required under a November 1995 consent order settling charges that Columbia/HCA's acquisition of John Randolph Medical Center in Hopewell, Virginia, would violate federal antitrust laws by substantially reducing competition for psychiatric hospital services in the Tri-Cities area of south central Virginia. The divestiture is designed to restore competition. (See Nov. 30, 1995 news release for more details regarding the consent order; Docket No. C-3627.) Staff contact is Daniel Ducore, 202-326-2526.

Commission action regarding applications for approval: Following a public comment period, the Commission has ruled on an application for approval of a transaction from the following:

• The FTC has approved the application of Schwegmann Giant Super Markets, Inc., of New Orleans, Louisiana, to divest the Canal Villere supermarket located at 4726 Paris Avenue in New Orleans to Dai Nguyen, who resides in New Orleans and is an owner and manager in the grocery business. This divestiture was among seven required under a 1995 consent order designed to restore supermarket competition allegedly injured when Schwegmann acquired the New Orleans supermarkets formerly owned by National Holdings, Inc., from Schnuck Markets, Inc. (See March 8, 1995 news release for more details regarding the consent order; Docket No. C-3584; Commission vote to approve the divestiture was 5-0.) Staff contact is Roberta Baruch, 202-326-2861.

Comments on the Columbia/HCA application should be addressed to the FTC, Office of the Secretary, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. Copies of the documents referenced above are available from the FTC's Public Reference Branch, Room 130, at the same address; 202-326-2222; TTY for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710. FTC news releases and other materials also are available on the Internet at the FTC's World Wide Web site at: http://www.ftc.gov