Sutter Health Named One of the Nation's "100 Most Wired Hospitals"

SACRAMENTO, Calif., October 15, 2001 - Sutter Health, one of the nation's leading not-for profit, community-based health care organizations, has been selected by Hospitals and Healthcare Network magazine as one of the nation's "100 Most Wired Hospitals" in 2001. This award recognizes the most effective or innovative use of Internet-enabled health and business processes. Entry surveys conducted by Deloitte Consulting were completed by systems representing 1,177 hospitals.

An analysis conducted by Standard and Poor's reveals that the "most wired" systems not only outperform other hospitals, but that they have done so over the last three years. Sutter Health's A-plus credit rating was recently reaffirmed by Standard and Poor's.

"Using the Internet to improve our ability to serve patients is a major objective of our healthcare organization," said Sutter Health Chief Information Officer John Hummel. "We are delighted that our strategic efforts are recognized, especially since this means we are meeting our patients' needs more efficiently."

Sutter Health's Information Technology Department of more than 300 employees provides service in a number of areas including Web development, interface development, project management, electronic security and telecommunications support.

Sutter Health is one of the nation's leading not-for-profit networks of community healthcare services. Sutter Health serves more than 20 Northern California counties, from the Oregon border to the San Joaquin Valley, and from the Pacific coast to the Sierra foothills. Sutter medical centers care for more inpatients than any other network in Northern California, and lead the market in infant deliveries, neonatology, orthopedics, pediatrics and cancer care services. Sutter Health has care centers in more than 100 Northern California cities and towns; more than two dozen acute care hospitals; physician training programs; medical research facilities; region-wide home health, hospice and occupational health networks; and long-term care centers.