FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For More Information: Palmira Arellano – (210) 575-0172

Expectant mothers now have a resource in their own language.

San Antonio, Texas – December, 2004 -- Honoring its commitment to provide the highest quality health care to the communities it serves, Methodist Healthcare announced today that it is further enhancing its service to the Hispanic population by teaming with NatalDoc.com. NatalDoc is an on-line healthcare magazine in Spanish with personalized information for women who are currently or considering becoming pregnant.

“In Texas, the highest birth rates are to Hispanic women, accounting for almost 50 percent of all births. This statistic reinforces the critical need to not only care for this important segment of our population, but to also provide the highest quality healthcare education in Spanish particularly in the area of preventive medicine,” says Annie Holt CEO of Methodist Children’s Hospital and Women’s Services. The NatalDoc information will also benefit families throughout Mexico wanting to obtain information in their own language.

The NatalDoc health content is written by physicians and other healthcare professionals, and Hispanic women and mothers participate in the editorial process. By entering the Methodist Healthcare Web site at www.SAHealth.com, users can automatically access the NatalDoc content. New content appears every week and the site is rich with information about medical conditions as well as ways to prevent them. Content about Methodist Healthcare and its facilities and services can also be found on the Web site. Complete information about Methodist Healthcare’s International Services department, a concierge service created to cater to patients from other countries and Spanish speaking patients, is also posted on the site.

“NatalDoc is the fastest growing Spanish-language Web site in its specialty,” says Dr. Francisco Paez, Director of Hispanic Business Development at Pediatrix Medical Group. NatalDoc is a service of Pediatrix Medical Group. “This is a perfect collaboration because, like Methodist Healthcare, our organization is committed to educating our patients so they can make informed decisions.” Pediatrix Medical Group is the nation’s largest provider of maternal-fetal, newborn and pediatric subspecialty services.

Methodist Healthcare and Pediatrix Medical Group have a longstanding relationship that has existed for more than 20 years. Methodist Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit is San Antonio’s largest with specialists affiliated with Pediatrix available 24 hours a day. Methodist Healthcare system is the most preferred and largest provider of healthcare services in San Antonio and the 25 surrounding counties and is a preferred destination for an ever-increasing volume of international patients, in particular patients from Mexico. Methodist Hospital and Metropolitan Methodist Hospital deliver more than 10,000 babies each year, more than any health care system in the region.