Hospital Corp. of America said it earned...

Hospital Corp. of America said it earned $53.8 million in the third quarter, contrasted with a loss of $82.4 million a year ago. The Nashville, Tenn.-based company completed the sale of 104 hospitals on Aug. 31, but the gain is being deferred to future periods. Quarterly income included $6.9 million from settlement of a dispute over Medicare bills. The company took heavy writedowns in the year-ago period, which contributed to the loss.