Community Health profit beats Wall Street forecasts

* Q3 EPS excluding items $0.86 vs analyst estimate of $0.84

* Q3 operating revenue rises 9 percent to $3.2 billion

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Hospital operator Community Health Systems Inc reported third-quarter profit that exceeded analyst estimates, helped by higher patient admissions.

Excluding a loss from the early retirement of debt, Community Health said it earned 86 cents a share.

Analysts had expected the Franklin, Tennessee-based company to earn 84 cents a share on revenue of $3.21 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Income from continuing operations fell to $58.8 million, or 49 cents a share, from $95.8 million, or 86 cents a share, a year earlier. Operating revenue rose 9 percent to $3.2 billion.