TOP UROLOGY EXPERTISE AVAILABLE AT VIRGINIA HOSPITAL CENTER

Urology Announced as Center of Excellence

Arlington, VA (April 18, 2006) - Patients seeking comprehensive medical expertise and state-of-the-art treatment options for urologic conditions ranging from prostate, kidney and bladder cancer to kidney stones and voiding dysfunction can find the help they're looking for at Virginia Hospital's Urology Center of Excellence. The newest of the Hospital's five Centers of Excellence, the Center's primary areas of expertise include urological laparoscopy (including robot-assisted laparoscopy), urologic oncology, female urology and reconstructive urology.

Virginia Hospital Center's Urology Center of Excellence is led by Robert M. Mordkin, MD, formerly the Director of Laparoscopic Urology at Georgetown University Medical Center, and Andrew B. Joel, MD, who received fellowship training in laparoscopy and endourology at the University of California-San Francisco.

"We offer patients the most advanced treatments, all across the spectrum of current knowledge. They will hear about everything that's available in urology, and we'll make recommendations about what's best for them," says Dr. Mordkin.

He and Dr. Joel are both specialists in minimally invasive urologic surgery, including laparoscopic approaches to the removal of prostate, kidney, bladder and adrenal cancers. Few surgeons in the area have the level of expertise they offer in these techniques. These are very technically challenging surgeries, but offer many advantages to the patient: shorter recovery time, less scarring and less blood loss.

Both Drs. Mordkin and Joel are also considered experts in robotically assisted laparoscopy; Dr. Mordkin is additionally certified by the manufacturers of the DaVinci Robot, and has performed many robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomies.

The Center will take advantage of not only Dr. Mordkin and Dr. Joel's experience in clinical research, giving patients access to leading-edge clinical studies, but it will also offer the acclaimed expertise of Shree Subhash, MD, who has been with Virginia Hospital Center for over 20 years. Drs. Mordkin and Joel also plan to participate in a 2006 oncology study pertaining to prostate cancer.

"The techniques and technologies we have at our disposal rival what you could find at the top academic centers," Dr. Joel says. "We're establishing a tertiary referral center here and we offer something above and beyond what's generally available in terms of technology, expertise and commitment."

About Virginia Hospital Center:

For over 60 years, Virginia Hospital Center has provided exceptional medical services to the Washington metropolitan area. In November of 2004, Virginia Hospital Center celebrated the Grand Opening of a new $150 million state-of-the-art facility. Virginia Hospital Center offers comprehensive healthcare and multiple Centers of Excellence including Cardiology & Cardiovascular Surgery, Oncology, Neuroscience, Urology and Women & Infant Health. The Hospital also operates the only Lung Cancer Center in Northern Virginia. Virginia Hospital Center is a teaching hospital, long-associated with Georgetown University's School of Medicine, and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and Licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health. For additional information, please visit www.virginiahospitalcenter.com.