2008-08-22 01:14:05 -

www.medicalpropertiestrust.com - Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE: MPW) announced today that its Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.27 per share of common stock to be paid on October 16, 2008 to stockholders of record on September 18, 2008.

Based on the Company's closing share price on August 21, 2008 of $10.58, the quarterly

dividend announced today represents an annualized yield of approximately 10.2%.

Additionally, the Company announced that a subsidiary of Health Management Associates Inc. (NYSE: HMA) has exercised its option to extend the term of the lease of the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center for an additional five years until February 2014. HMA has additional options, subject to customary conditions, to extend the lease term to as far as 2039.

About Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. is a Birmingham, Alabama based self-advised real estate investment trust formed to capitalize on the changing trends in healthcare delivery by acquiring and developing net-leased healthcare facilities. These facilities include inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, regional acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and other single-discipline healthcare facilities, such as heart hospitals and orthopedic hospitals.

The statements in this press release that are forward looking are based on current expectations and actual results or future events may differ materially. Words such as "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "will," "should" and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, which include statements including, but not limited to, the payment of future dividends, if any. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results of the Company or future events to differ materially from those expressed in or underlying such forward-looking statements, including without limitation: national and economic, business, real estate and other market conditions; the competitive environment in which the Company operates; the execution of the Company's business plan; financing risks; the Company's ability to attain and maintain its status as a REIT for federal income tax purposes; acquisition and development risks; potential environmental and other liabilities; and other factors affecting the real estate industry generally or healthcare real estate in particular. For further discussion of the facts that could affect outcomes, please refer to the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007. Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update the information in this press release.

Medical Properties Trust
Charles Lambert, 205-397-8897
Finance Director
clambert@medicalpropertiestrust.com