Scott Clark Media and Public Relations 254-724-9724 or 254-724-3047 Pager: 254-762-1607 sdclark@swmail.sw.org For more information, contact: David Wilkins, Thomson Healthcare 734-913-3397 or david.wilkins@thomson.com November 20, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Scott & White on the list of nation's top cardiovascular hospitals

- Thomson Healthcare rating firm recognizes high quality care -

TEMPLE, Texas - For the eighth year in a row, Scott & White has been named one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals® for cardiovascular care.

"Scott & White's continued recognition in this area shows the high level of care, commitment and compassion our cardiovascular team puts forth," said Dr. Alfred B. Knight, president and CEO of Scott & White. "We are again on this list with institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and the Yale-New Haven Hospital, which says volumes about our ability to consistently provide excellent care."

This award was previously known as the Solucient 100 Top Hospitals. Solucient was acquired by Thomson Healthcare last year. The industry rating company based its award on hospitals' performance treating congestive heart failure and heart attacks. Scott & White is one of only two programs from Texas recognized in the category of teaching hospitals with cardiovascular residency programs. The 2007 winners were announced Nov. 19 in Modern Healthcare magazine.

"These winning hospitals bring great value to their communities," said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs in the Center for Healthcare Improvement, Thomson Healthcare. "They have set national benchmarks for clinical process, outcomes, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness."

At Scott & White, a team of more than 20 cardiologists, cardiovascular and vascular surgeons provides patients with a broad range of services for all aspects of cardiovascular disease. In January 2006 the hospital opened the Scott & White Heart and Vascular Institute, located in the newly-constructed hospital building and featuring state-of-the-art health care technology.

"This is wonderful news. The cardiovascular team and the whole hospital are honored by this distinction," said Dr. Gregory Dehmer, cardiology division director at Scott & White and professor of medicine at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. "We are proud of the care we provide to our patients, but it is always good to subject yourself to an independent objective evaluation. No matter where we are on the curve, it is always our goal to improve."

Among the key findings from the 2007 Thomson 100 Top Hospitals: Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success study:

• If all cardiovascular hospitals achieved the same results as the 100 Top Hospitals award winners, more than 7,000 lives would be saved and nearly 750 medical complications would be avoided annually.
• The award winners reported hospital stays that were 12 percent shorter, on average, than peer hospitals (5.14 days compared with 5.85 days).
• The 100 Top Hospitals reported costs that averaged 13 percent - or about $2,000 - less per case than peer hospitals.
• There was a large difference in the volume of heart procedures performed by the winning hospitals and their peers. The 100 Top Hospitals performed nearly two-thirds more coronary artery bypass grafts and percutaneous coronary interventions such as angioplasty.

Thomson Healthcare is the leading provider of decision support solutions that help organizations across the healthcare industry improve clinical and business performance. Thomson Healthcare products and services help clinicians, hospitals, employers, health plans, government agencies, and pharmaceutical companies manage the cost and improve the quality of healthcare.

More information on this study and other 100 Top Hospitals research is available at www.100tophospitals.com. You may also obtain copies of the 100 Top Hospitals report through the website, or purchase them by calling Thomson Healthcare at 1-800-568-3282.

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