On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California, it gives us great pleasure to invite you to sponsor and join us as a Hospital Council Associate at our annual Health Care Summit at the Palace Hotel, in San Francisco, California from September 20 - 22, 2006.

Our annual Health Care Summit, which attracts 200 Chief Executive Officers and Executive Management team members, and for the first time, Chief Nursing Officers, is an educational program designed to explore the most pressing issues facing the hospital industry. By becoming a sponsor of the Summit you will reap the benefits of extra visibility for your organization and services, while at the same time communicating your support to this highly targeted audience. We invite you to be full participants in this exciting Summit with its many informative speakers.

Based on sponsor feedback regarding our 2005 Health Care Summit, the Hospital Council is making the following changes to ensure that sponsors realize the maximum benefit from their support:

1. To increase attendance we will be inviting Chief Nursing Officers from our participating hospitals to be part of our Annual Summit. This will afford you the opportunity to showcase your products and services to two different segments of the hospital community.
2. The ballroom for the exhibitor fair is conveniently located on the same floor next to the ballroom where all education sessions will be held, providing easy access between both venues.
3. The following membership events will be held in the exhibitor fair ballroom: the opening reception, to honor you, our valued associates, the breakfast buffet, and two, thirty minute breaks.
4. There will be a significant raffle for CEO and CNOs who visit all the exhibitor booths. (In 2005 Nancy Steiger, CEO of San Mateo Medical Center, won a week in Hawaii.)
5. A committee of sponsors and exhibitors from the 2005 Annual Meeting are serving as Representatives to the Hospital Council to assist in the planning of the 2006 Annual Meeting exhibitor fair and sponsorship program.

Enclosed for your consideration is a complete list of sponsorship levels and benefits, as well as a Commitment to Sponsor Form. We hope that you will demonstrate your support for our members by filling out the Commitment to Sponsor Form today. If you need any further information while considering this invitation, please feel free to contact Ron Smith, Regional Vice President with the Hospital Council, at (415) 616-9990 rlsmith@hcncc.org.

The Hospital Council is a non-profit association that represents the 200 hospitals from Kern County to the Oregon border. The Hospital Council’s membership includes hospitals and health systems ranging from small, rural hospitals to large, urban medical centers, encompassing more than 37,000 licensed beds. Our members are the decision-makers in today’s health care marketplace.

Thank you again for your continued support of the Hospital Council and its members. We look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Sincerely,