2008-07-07 23:57:12 -

www.novamed.com - NovaMed, Inc. (Nasdaq:NOVA) today announced that it has acquired a 51% interest in the Interventional Pain Management Center, an ambulatory surgery center with four operating rooms located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This center currently performs pain management procedures exclusively but has the potential to add other specialties.

"In the last 12 months approximately 15,000

pain management procedures were performed at this surgery center generating approximately $6 million in net revenue," commented Thomas S. Hall, NovaMed Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Interventional Pain Management Center is a state-of-the-art facility currently used by five doctors, four of whom will be our partners in this center. We look forward to working with our new partners to realize the center's full growth potential," added Mr. Hall.

NovaMed acquires, develops and operates ambulatory surgery centers in partnership with physicians. Including the transaction noted above, NovaMed now has majority ownership interests in 35 surgery centers located in 18 states. NovaMed's executive offices are located in Chicago, Illinois.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that relate to possible future events. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in this press release. These risks and uncertainties relate to our business, our industry and our common stock and include: reduced prices and reimbursement rates for surgical procedures; our ability to acquire, develop or manage a sufficient number of profitable surgical facilities, including facilities that are not exclusively dedicated to eye-related procedures; our ability to manage our increasing borrowing costs as we incur additional indebtedness to fund the acquisition and development of surgical facilities; our ability to access capital on a cost-effective basis to continue to successfully implement our growth strategy; our ability to maintain successful relationships with the physicians who use our surgical facilities; our operating margins and profitability could suffer if we are unable to grow and manage effectively our increasing number of surgical facilities; competition from other companies in the acquisition, development and operation of surgical facilities; and the application of existing or proposed government regulations, or the adoption of new laws and regulations, that could limit our business operations, require us to incur significant expenditures or limit our ability to relocate our facilities if necessary. Readers are encouraged to review a more complete discussion of the factors affecting NovaMed's business and prospects in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's 2007 Form 10-K filed on March 17, 2008. Readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Except as required by the federal securities laws, NovaMed undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changing circumstances or any other reason after the date of this press release.

NovaMed, Inc.
Scott T. Macomber
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
312-664-4100
smacomber@novamed.com