FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN ANTONIO - March 21, 2000. South Texas Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgical Associates, PLLC announced the electronic availability of patient and referring physician services and information via their newly created Website - http://www.heartlungsa.com.

South Texas Cardiothoracic is committed to its corporate mission of "enhancing overall cardiac and vascular health" by providing high quality, patient-centered health care, surgical services and management support throughout San Antonio and the South Texas region of the United States. South Texas Cardiothoracic is pursuing a unique and revolutionary approach to providing information via the Web to patients and their healthcare partners.

"As our patients and healthcare partners begin to understand the far-reaching potential of this dynamic new media known as the Internet, South Texas Cardiothoracic is positioning itself to take advantage of this technology," said President Lawrence R. Hamner. "The Website is a small step in the right direction in our efforts to provide useful, timely information about cardiothoracic and vascular surgical developments and discoveries."

South Texas Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgical Associates, PLLC was formed in September, 1997. The Association was the result of mergers of several prominent cardiothoracic surgery groups and individual surgeons. The resulting entity contains eight cardiothoracic surgeons, and is widely recognized as the premier cardiothoracic and vascular surgery group in San Antonio and the surrounding South Texas area.

South Texas Cardiothoracic surgeons enjoy an excellent reputation for high quality, leading edge cardiothoracic surgery. This reputation is not restricted to the San Antonio area, but rather it extends internationally. Many of these surgeons hold key committee positions at various hospitals. Two surgeons specialize in pediatric surgeries, while others have other specific areas of expertise. Two surgeons serve as the primary transplant surgeons for the Heart Transplant Program of the Methodist Healthcare System. These broad capabilities make South Texas Cardiothoracic uniquely qualified to meet the complete cardiothoracic needs of the South Texas area.