SGMF Earns "Best Practice" ratings in PacifiCare's Quality Index

July 15, 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Modesto, CA -- Sutter Gould Medical Foundation (SGMF) received "Best Practice" designations in eight categories in PacifiCare's Spring 2002 QUALITY INDEX profile - PacifiCare's public report on medical group performance. The index rates PacifiCare and SecureHorizons (a Medicare HMO) contracted medical groups and IPAs in more than 50 measures related to clinical, service and administrative quality. It represents more than 25,000 physicians serving approximately 2.1 million PacifiCare and SecureHorizons members in California.

"Best Practice" status is awarded when a group scores 90 or higher in a particular category, putting it in the top 10% relative to other participating groups statewide.

Sutter Gould Medical Foundation operates 16 neighborhood care centers throughout the Central Valley, and is an affiliate of Sutter Health, one of California's largest and most respected community-based, not-for-profit health care systems.