September 20, 2004

Dear Colleagues,

Congratulations! The Johns Hopkins Hospital has again received the Consumer Choice Award from the National Research Corporation (NRC). This year, individuals surveyed in four regions: Baltimore City, Washington, D.C. (co-winner with Inova Fairfax Hospital), Bethesda, Md, and Hagerstown, Md. (co-winner with Washington County Hospital) selected Hopkins as their hospital of choice. Hopkins was one of only a few hospitals nationwide to earn top-choice status in a multi-market region, according to NRC, a firm specializing in health care performance measurement.

The company issues its annual awards to hospitals with the highest quality and image ratings based on the firm's syndicated health care market guide telephone survey of more than 140,000 households in 150 markets representing 400,000 consumers in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia.

Informed health care consumers are ultimately the final arbiters of a hospital's reputation and quality. We are truly pleased that year after year, consumers throughout the Washington and Baltimore regions continue to select us as number one.

Of the 3,000 hospitals named by consumers in the survey, the top 175 rank highest in their Metropolitan Statistical Areas, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. The Johns Hopkins Hospital would not be viewed so favorably by so many people year after year if it were not for the hard work and unrivaled commitment to excellence each of our team exhibits each and every day.

Edward D. Miller, M.D.
Dean of the Medical Faculty
CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Ronald R. Peterson
President
The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System