**Exhibit 31.1**

**Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Principal Executive Officer**

I, Joseph V. Vumbacco, certify that:

| 1.          I have reviewed this Annual Report onForm 10-K of Health Management Associates, Inc.;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
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| 2.          Based on my knowledge, this report doesnot contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a materialfact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances underwhich such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the periodcovered by this report;                                   |
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| 3.          Based on my knowledge, the financialstatements, and other financial information included in this report, fairlypresent in all material respects the financial condition, results of operationsand cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in thisreport;                                                      |
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| 4.          The registrant’s other certifyingofficer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosurecontrols and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in ExchangeAct Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: |
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|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | a) | Designed   such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls   and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material   information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others   within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is   being prepared; |
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|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | b) | Designed such internal   control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over   financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide   reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the   preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with   generally accepted accounting principles; |
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|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | c) | Evaluated   the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and   presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the   disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by   this report based on such evaluation; and |
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|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | d) | Disclosed in   this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial   reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter   (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that   has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the   registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
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| 5.          The registrant’s other certifyingofficer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internalcontrol over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and theaudit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or personsperforming the equivalent functions):                            |
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|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | a) | All   significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation   of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to   adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and   report financial information; and |
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|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | b) | Any fraud,   whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have   a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial   reporting. |