John Muir Health Foundation Receives $9.5 Million Pledge from The Thomas J. Long Foundation

New patient care center to be named The Thomas J. and Muriel T. Long Patient Care Tower

Walnut Creek, Calif. (January 31, 2006) - The John Muir Health Foundation today announced that The Thomas J. Long Foundation has pledged $9.5 million toward the expansion and remodeling of John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek.

The donation is the largest ever received by the John Muir Health Foundation and will contribute significantly to "The Future of Great Medicine" capital campaign to help fund construction of a new patient care tower at the medical center. In recognition of their support for John Muir Medical Center, the five-story patient care tower will be named The Thomas J. and Muriel T. Long Patient Care Tower.

"The patient care tower is an expansion of the original hospital that Tom and Muriel Long helped to build," said Guy Henshaw, chair of the campaign and former chairman of both the John Muir Health Foundation board and the John Muir Health board of directors. "Their association with John Muir Medical Center and their legacy in this community as philanthropists and community builders bring tremendous honor to this project."

"We are extremely appreciative of the very generous support we have received from The Thomas J. Long Foundation," said Ken Meehan, Executive Vice President of John Muir Health. "This contribution will not only help John Muir Medical Center meet the future patient care needs of the community, but also allows us to accommodate emerging technologies and other healthcare advances that will impact future generations."

The Thomas J. Long Foundation's investment continues the family's lengthy history of supporting the medical center. Billie (Muriel) Long was an active John Muir Health Foundation board member and her husband, Tom, was an honorary Foundation board member. Billie was one of the original supporters of John Muir Medical Center, and she continued her volunteer and financial support of the hospital throughout her lifetime. While Tom is best known for starting the Longs Drug Store chain with his brother, Joe, he established a legacy as a strong contributor to community projects and supporter of quality health care that is carried on by the foundation that bears his name.

"Helping to build this new patient care tower presented an opportunity to memorialize my parents at an institution that is representative of their values," said Sidne Long, president of The Thomas J. Long Foundation. "They always believed in contributing to a healthy community. This project will help ensure our community has access to outstanding medical care for generations to come."

Since its opening in 1965 by local physicians, John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek has become a vital resource for Contra Costa County residents. Last year, 44,000 children and adults in the North and East Bay received treatment in John Muir Medical Center's emergency department, severely injured patients were treated at the County's designated Trauma Center, 7,000 surgeries were performed and numerous fragile infants received care that otherwise would have only been available outside the local community.

The expanded and remodeled medical center will include 234 private rooms in the patient care tower, resulting in a total of 410 rooms. Also included will be an expanded space for trauma and emergency services, an Intensive Care Neonatal Nursery and improved ancillary facilities, including a new helicopter landing pad and parking structure.

A critical portion of the cost of the construction project will come from "The Future of Great Medicine" campaign with the rest being invested by John Muir Health. Private donations have already contributed significantly to funding the $460 million project, the region's largest ever investment in health care, with the public phase of the campaign set to begin in 2006.

"Community support for this campaign will help the medical center to continue to provide the highest quality of care for local residents," said Henshaw. "The gift from The Thomas J. Long Foundation is representative of the value of John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek to this community. We are pleased to report that the Campaign has reached the $20 million mark, and thank our John Muir community and the T.J. Long Foundation for helping us to achieve this significant first milestone."