EXHIBIT 99.1

Vanguard Health Systems Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2012 Results

Adjusted EBITDA and Diluted EPS Outlook for Fiscal 2012 Confirmed

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – February 1, 2012 – Vanguard Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE: VHS) today announced financial and operating results for the second fiscal quarter and six months ended December 31, 2011.

Second Quarter Fiscal 2012 Key Metrics (all percentage changes compare Q2 FY2012 to Q2 FY2011):

Consolidated:

Same Hospital:

Year to Date Fiscal 2012 Key Metrics (all percentage changes compare six months YTD FY2012 to six months YTD FY2011):

Consolidated:

Same Hospital:

Discussion of Results

The increase in consolidated total revenues during the second quarter of fiscal 2012 and during the first six months of fiscal 2012 was primarily attributable to the acquisitions of The Detroit Medical Center (“DMC”) in January 2011 and Valley Baptist Health System in September 2011. The increase in same hospital net patient service revenues during the second quarter of fiscal 2012 was primarily comprised of a 1.8 percent increase in patient revenue per adjusted discharge and a 0.9 percent increase in adjusted discharges. The decrease in health plan premium revenues during the second quarter of fiscal 2012 resulted from the impact to Phoenix Health Plan of a combination of capitation rate decreases, program eligibility cuts and health plan profitability limitations for certain groups of covered members adopted by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (“AHCCCS”) since the second quarter of fiscal 2011.

Net income attributable to Vanguard Health Systems, Inc. stockholders was $12.1 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, during the second quarter of fiscal 2012 compared to net loss attributable to Vanguard Health Systems, Inc. stockholders of $5.0 million, or $0.11 per share, during the prior year period. During the first six months of fiscal 2012, net loss attributable to Vanguard Health Systems, Inc. stockholders was $7.1 million, or $0.10 per share, compared to $3.8 million, or $0.09 per share, during the prior year period. Interest expense for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 was negatively impacted by $1.7 million ($1.0 million or $0.01 per diluted share, net of taxes) due to the delayed timing of some of our construction projects and the resulting impact on capitalized interest. During the second quarter of fiscal 2012, we also made modifications to our stock compensation estimates that resulted in our stock compensation being negatively impacted by approximately $2.0 million ($1.2 million or $0.02 per diluted share, net of taxes). Adjusted EBITDA increased 54.7 percent to $133.7 million and 56.3 percent to $256.5 million, respectively, during the second quarter of fiscal 2012 and during the first six months of fiscal 2012. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, to net income (loss) attributable to Vanguard Health Systems, Inc. stockholders for the quarters and six-month periods ended December 31, 2010 and 2011 is included in this release.

Due to the significant acquisitions we made during fiscal 2011 and during the first six months of fiscal 2012, most cost and expense line items are not comparable on a period over period basis. Same hospital uncompensated care as a percentage of net patient revenues (prior to the uncompensated care deductions) increased from 15.9 percent during the second quarter of fiscal 2011 to 20.0 percent during the second quarter of fiscal 2012 as a result of an increase in uninsured discharges as a percentage of total discharges and price increases. During the second quarter of fiscal 2012, we recognized $22.6 million of Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record incentive payments (included in the costs and expenses section of our statement of operations), $7.2 million of which was included in revenues during the first quarter of fiscal 2012 and reclassified during the current quarter.

Cash flows from operating activities decreased $120.9 million during the first six months of fiscal 2012 compared to the prior year period, primarily due to working capital increases of $205.5 million, including a $12.3 million increase in interest and income tax payments, the payment of fiscal 2011 incentive compensation to our employees and significant payment delays from certain governmental programs that have negatively impacted our net accounts receivable days. Capital expenditures increased 72.8 percent to $137.2 million during the first six months of fiscal 2012 compared to the prior year period. As of December 31, 2011, our cash balance was $178.7 million, our outstanding debt was $2,344.4 million and we had $225.6 million of borrowing capacity under our revolving credit facility. In February 2012, we expect to place approximately $42.0 million of cash into a restricted escrow account to fund certain unspent DMC capital commitments related to calendar year 2011 as required by the DMC asset purchase agreement. Per the terms of the escrow agreement, this restricted cash will be distributed by the escrow agent for capital expenditures related to our 2011 capital commitments incurred subsequent to January 1, 2012 until the escrow is depleted.

Outlook for Fiscal Year 2012

We are confirming our previously issued fiscal year 2012 outlook for ranges of projected Adjusted EBITDA ($520 million to $545 million); projected net income attributable to Vanguard Health Systems, Inc. stockholders, excluding debt extinguishment costs and acquisition related expenses ($56.3 million to $69.1 million); and projected diluted earnings per share attributable to Vanguard Health Systems, Inc. stockholders, excluding debt extinguishment costs and acquisition related expenses ($0.71 to $0.86 per diluted share). We are adjusting our projected fiscal year 2012 capital expenditures to a range of $335 million to $365 million.

Earnings Conference Call

We will host a conference call at 11:00 am EST on February 1, 2012. All interested parties are invited to access a live webcast of the conference call on Vanguard’s website at http://investor.vanguardhealth.com or at www.earnings.com. If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the webcast will be available on a replay basis at http://investor.vanguardhealth.com for 90 days.

We own and operate 28 acute care and specialty hospitals and complementary facilities and services in metropolitan Chicago, Illinois; metropolitan Detroit, Michigan; metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona; San Antonio, Texas; Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas; and Worcester and metropolitan Boston, Massachusetts. Our strategy is to develop locally branded, comprehensive healthcare delivery networks in urban markets.

Cautionary Statement about Preliminary Results and Other Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws that are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Forward-looking statements are those statements that are based upon management’s current plans and expectations as opposed to historical and current facts and are often identified in this release by use of words including but not limited to “may,” “believe,” “will,” “project,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” and “plan.” These statements are based upon estimates and assumptions made by our management that, although believed to be reasonable, are subject to numerous factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those expressed in any forward-looking statements.

These factors, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, our high degree of leverage and interest rate risk; our ability to incur substantially more debt; operating and financial restrictions in our debt agreements; our ability to generate cash necessary to service our debt; weakened economic conditions and volatile capital markets; potential liability related to disclosures of relationships between physicians and our hospitals; post-payment claims reviews by governmental agencies that could result in additional costs to us; our ability to grow our business and successfully implement our business strategies; our ability to successfully integrate DMC, Valley Baptist Health System and hospitals acquired in the future or to recognize expected synergies from such acquisitions; potential acquisitions could be costly, unsuccessful or subject us to unexpected liabilities; conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of our control by a small number of stockholders; the highly competitive nature of the healthcare industry; governmental regulation of the healthcare industry, including Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement levels in general and with respect to the impact of the Budget Control Act of 2011 and other future deficit reduction plans; a reduction or elimination of supplemental Medicare and Medicaid payments including disproportionate share payments, indirect medical education/graduate medical education payments and other similar payments would adversely impact our liquidity, results of operations and financial condition; pressures to contain costs by managed care organizations and other insurers and our ability to negotiate acceptable terms with these third party payers; our ability to attract and retain qualified management and healthcare professionals, including physicians and nurses; the currently unknown effect on us of the major federal healthcare reforms enacted by Congress in March 2010 or other potential additional federal or state healthcare reforms; potential adverse impact of known and unknown governmental investigations and audits; our failure to adequately enhance our facilities with technologically advanced equipment could adversely affect our revenues and market position; the availability of capital to fund our corporate growth strategy and improvements to our existing facilities; potential lawsuits or other claims asserted against us; our ability to maintain or increase patient membership and control costs of our managed healthcare plans; failure of AHCCCS to renew its contract with, or award future contracts to, Phoenix Health Plan would materially affect our business, profitability, financial condition and results of operations; Phoenix Health Plan’s ability to comply with the terms of its contract with AHCCCS, as noncompliance could subject it to fines, penalties or termination of its contract, which would materially affect our business, profitability, financial condition and results of operations; our inability to manage health plan claims expense within our health plans could reduce our profitability and adversely impact our liquidity and financial position; reductions in the enrollment of our health plans could have an adverse effect on our business and profitability; changes in general economic conditions nationally and regionally in the markets served by us; our exposure to the increased amounts of and collection risks associated with uninsured accounts and the co-pay and deductible portions of insured accounts; dependence on our senior management team and local management personnel; volatility of professional and general liability insurance for us and the physicians who practice at our hospitals and increases in the quantity and severity of professional liability claims; our ability to achieve operating and financial targets and to maintain and increase patient volumes and control the costs of providing services, including salaries and benefits, supplies and other operating expenses; increased compliance costs from further government regulation of the healthcare industry and our failure to comply, or allegations of our failure to comply, with applicable laws and regulations; the geographic concentration of our operations; technological and pharmaceutical improvements

that increase the cost of providing, or reduce the demand for, healthcare services and shift demand for inpatient services to outpatient settings; a failure of our information systems would adversely impact our ability to manage our operations; delays in receiving payments for services provided, especially from governmental payers; changes in revenue mix, including changes in Medicaid eligibility criteria and potential declines in the population covered under managed care agreements; costs and compliance risks associated with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; material non-cash charges to earnings from impairment of goodwill associated with declines in the fair market value of our reporting units; volatility of materials and labor costs for, or state efforts to regulate, potential construction projects that may be necessary for future growth; changes in accounting practices; our ability to demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record technology and to receive the related Medicare or Medicaid incentive payments; and those factors, risks and uncertainties detailed in our filings from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, among others, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

Although we believe that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are reasonable, any of these assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and, therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, you should not regard the inclusion of such information as a representation by us that the objectives and plans anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or be achieved or, if any of them do, what impact they will have on our results of operations and financial condition. We undertake no obligation to publicly release any revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events and circumstances occurring after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

We use our company website to provide important information to investors about the company, including the posting of important announcements regarding financial performance and corporate developments.

VANGUARD HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)

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Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income (Loss)

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