Libby, Montana, February 22, 2000

The W. R. Grace company presented a check for $250,000 Tuesday to St. John's Lutheran Hospital in Libby, Montana. This initial donation was pledged earlier this year as part of a broad plan by Grace to help Libby residents who have been diagnosed with asbestos-related illness.

"This donation will help fund the planning and development of programs at St. John's aimed at helping our community members who have asbestosis and other related diseases," said Rick Palagi, St. John's CEO. "We are pleased that Grace has stepped forward so soon in this process to begin funding important program development."

Grace officials state that further funding has been promised as needs become more clearly identified.

"Grace stands by our commitment to do the right thing for the people of Libby," said Alan Stringer, Grace spokesman. "This donation is a first step, and there are no strings attached. As we get more information on what is needed in the community, we will continue to be responsible to the people affected with asbestos-related diseases."

Palagi stated that St. John's will continue to work in conjunction with the EPA and the ATSDR to define and implement a program for screening community members who may have been exposed to asbestos.

"We want to make sure that this screening is done in the most accurate, expedient, and impartial way," Palagi said. "Working in conjunction with the federal agencies gives us access to established expertise and systems so we can begin the screening as soon as possible."

According to Palagi, Grace's donation will be used for preparing to care for our community members with asbestos-related diseases, and in no way implies that Grace will be involved in any specific aspects of the screening program. Also, Grace will not have access to individual medical information files.

The hospital remains committed to negotiating with Grace and others to make sure money is available to pay for patients' long-term healthcare needs. Asbestos-related programs which are in the planning stages at St. John's include community education classes, as well as the ongoing screening and follow-up for patients identified as having the disease.