Dear Neighbors,

This has been an exciting year for all of us at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center (LWRMC). We recently reached a major milestone by completing our first full year of service to the Sarasota-Manatee community. As the newest hospital in the area, we're grateful to everyone who trusted us to care for them and their family members. We're also thankful for the continued support of the dedicated physicians in our community.

We've been focusing on high-quality care and service excellence since we opened in the fall of 2004. As a result, we've been able to offer our patients an extensive array of inpatient and outpatient services. For example:

• Patients get prompt, high-level care at the Emergency Services Center.
• We provide immediate and comprehensive services to patients who suffer strokes.
• Women at all stages of life receive specialized, compassionate care at The Women's Center.
• Patients who need total joint replacements benefit from surgery and treatment through our new Total Joint Camp.
• Surgeons perform sophisticated and innovative procedures to treat patients with debilitating spinal disorders.

During 2006, we're looking forward to building on these early accomplishments. We soon will open a fully equipped cardiac catheterization lab where doctors will perform diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedures as well as diagnostic and interventional vascular procedures. We're evaluating the needs of the community and planning to add new services and recruit new physicians to better meet those needs.

Lynn M. Mergen CEO/Managing Director

We view surveys by The Gallup Organization, an independent research and survey organization, as important indicators of our success. These surveys show that our patients are overwhelmingly satisfied with the care they receive at LWRMC. As we move through 2006 and expand services, you can be confident that we'll continue to provide the same high-quality care that led you to select LWRMC as your hospital of choice.

Sincerely,
Lynn M. Mergen
CEO/Managing Director
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center