Western Piedmont Anesthesia Rejoins August 26, 2004 Western Piedmont Anesthesia Rejoins BCBSNC Networks

Western Piedmont Anesthesia, PA, the only anesthesia practice serving Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, recently signed an agreement to participate in the networks of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). With the agreement, Western Piedmont becomes the sole anesthesia practice in the county to serve as an in-network provider for members in all BCBSNC products. The new agreement will improve convenience for members who are served by Catawba Valley Medical Center and Western Piedmont Anesthesia and eliminate the increased costs associated with going to an out-of-network anesthesia practice. "We are pleased to welcome back this practice of skilled professionals to our networks," said Milo Brunick, BCBSNC vice president of Network Management. "Because of our agreement with Western Piedmont, members going to Catawba Valley Medical Center for surgical services will have the advantage of access to the only BCBSNC participating anesthesia provider in the county." "Our new contract with BCBSNC represents both a new partnership as well as another positive step in our long-term partnership with Catawba Valley Medical Center," said Daniel C. Barnette, MD of Western Piedmont Anesthesia. "We are pleased to finalize this contract and become an in-network provider for BCBSNC members." "This new contract between BCBSNC and the anesthesiologists who practice at Catawba Valley Medical Center will certainly reduce confusion and eliminate out of network charges for our surgical patients," said J. Anthony Rose, CVMC President & CEO. " We are very pleased and look forward to continuing to serve Catawba Valley patients covered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina plans." About BCBSNC: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to approximately 3 million members, including approximately 510,000 served on behalf of other Blue plans. The company offers its members the Blue ExtrasSM value-added programs, which provide discounts and information on a wide variety of health-related services at no additional cost. BCBSNC also offers life, dental, long-term care and disability insurance products. For 71 years, the company has served its customers by offering access to quality health care at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. BCBSNC's HMO and POS products have earned Excellent Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of health care delivered to people everywhere. BCBSNC also has North Carolina's first and only NCQA accredited PPO plan - Blue OptionsSM. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Access BCBSNC online at www.bcbsnc.com About Western Piedmont Anesthesia: Daniel C. Barnette, MD, Ronald C. Gildersleeve, MD, Thomas E. Goodin, III, MD, Thomas R. Hill, MD, Todd W. McKenney, MD, and Larry T. Williams, MD are the six physicians of Western Piedmont Anesthesia, PA. About Catawba Valley Medical Center: Catawba Valley Medical Center is a not-for-profit healthcare system providing and promoting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventative medicine and acute care. The medical center is designated as the 32nd Magnet hospital in the nation and only the second facility in the Carolinas to achieve this designation.