[LETTERHEAD OF DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP]
January 4, 2005
VIA EDGAR AND BY HAND
Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549
Attention: | Jeffrey Riedler, Assistant Director | |||
Suzanne Hayes, Branch Chief | ||||
Daniel Greenspan, Attorney-Advisor | ||||
Re: | Request for Withdrawal of LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. | |||
Registration Statement on Form S-4 | ||||
File No. 333-119929-01 | ||||
Filed on October 25, 2004 |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Pursuant to Rule 477 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, we hereby request, on behalf of LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. (the Company), that the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) consent to the withdrawal of the Registration Statement on Form S-4 initially filed with the Commission on October 25, 2004 (File No. 333-119929) (the Registration Statement), effective upon the date of filing of this letter with the Commission. This request is made on behalf of the Company only, and not on behalf of Lakers Holding Corp. (Lakers), the co-registrant under the Registration Statement. The Company has elected not to proceed as a co-registrant under the Registration Statement due to its belief that it is unlikely that the Company will be required to issue shares of its common stock pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of August 15, 2004, by and among the Company, Lakers, Lakers Acquisition Corp., Pacers Acquisition Corp. and Province Healthcare Company. No offers or sales of the Companys common stock have been or will be made pursuant to the Registration Statement.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the foregoing, please do not hesitate to contact me at (212) 259-6640 or Jack S. Bodner at (212) 259-8319.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Morton A. Pierce
Morton A. Pierce
cc:
|
William F. Carpenter III | |
Howard T. Wall, III | ||
Jack S. Bodner, Esq. | ||
J. Vaughan Curtis, Esq. | ||
Paul J. Nozick, Esq. |