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VistaCare Appoints James T. Robinson As New Chief Marketing Officer

Posted on: Friday, 12 May 2006, 06:08 CDT

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- VistaCare, Inc. , a leading provider of hospice services in the United States, today announced that it has appointed James T. Robinson, 45, as its new Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer, effective May 31, 2006.

In his role as Chief Marketing Officer, Robinson will report to David Elliot, President and Chief Operating Officer, and will assume responsibility for leadership of VistaCare's sales, marketing, communications, business development, and strategic planning functions.

"VistaCare has made great progress recently in our efforts to bring the hospice benefit to as many eligible patients as possible, and we're confident that Jim's experience as a successful salesman, executive-level manager, and entrepreneur in the healthcare industry will provide the spark and leadership we need to continue driving in a very positive direction," Elliot said. "Throughout his distinguished career, Jim has proven to be a visionary, a natural leader, and an exceptional catalyst for growth and evolution. He is a perfect fit for VistaCare, our mission, and the future we're building for this company and the communities we serve."

Robinson comes to VistaCare from HealthBanks, Inc., an innovative Patient Education and Pharmaceutical Marketing Services Company, where he has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 1997. Prior to his responsibilities at HealthBanks, Robinson served as Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Business Development for Avicenna Systems Corporation (now part of WebMD), an Internet health information start-up company he co-founded and sold in 1996. Robinson also has held a variety of sales and marketing management positions with St. Jude Medical, Inc., Hewlett Packard Medical Systems, and the Xerox Corporation.

Robinson earned a Bachelor of Arts from Connecticut College and holds an MBA from Harvard University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Compassionate Care Coalition, a state-wide organization working to improve end-of-life care, and Dream Donations, Inc, an innovative donor egg agency.

About VistaCare

VistaCare is a leading provider of hospice services in the United States. Through interdisciplinary teams of physicians, nurses, home healthcare aides, social workers, spiritual and other counselors and volunteers, VistaCare provides care primarily designed to reduce pain and enhance the quality of life of terminally ill patients, most commonly in the patient's home or other residence of choice.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release and the accompanying tables, including statements with respect to VistaCare's anticipated growth in net patient revenue, organic patient census and diluted earnings per share, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe,""expect,""hope,""anticipate,""plan,""expectations,""forecast,""goal,""targeted" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statement was made. VistaCare does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve various risks and uncertainties, which could cause VistaCare's actual results to differ from those expressed in such forward- looking statements. These risks and uncertainties arise from, among other things, possible changes in regulations governing the hospice care industry, periodic changes in reimbursement levels and procedures under Medicare and Medicaid programs, difficulties predicting patient length of stay and estimating potential Medicare reimbursement obligations, patient discharge rate, challenges inherent in VistaCare's growth strategy, the current shortage of qualified nurses and other healthcare professionals, VistaCare's dependence on patient referral sources, the ability to grow patient census in the future, and other factors detailed under the caption "Factors that May Affect Future Results" or "Risk Factors" in VistaCare's most recent report on form 10-K and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements and there are no assurances that the matters contained in such statements will be achieved.

Investor Contacts: Company Contact: Doug Sherk/ Media Contact: Rick Slager Jennifer Beugelmans Steve DiMattia Chief Executive Officer EVC Group EVC Group 480-648-4530 415-896-6820 415-896-6820 ir@vistacare.com dsherk@evcgroup.com sdimattia@evcgroup.com

VistaCare, Inc.

CONTACT: Rick Slager, Chief Executive Officer of VistCare,+1-480-648-4530, or ir@vistacare.com; or investors, Doug Sherk,dsherk@evcgroup.com, or Jennifer Beugelmans, both at +1-415-896-6820, ormedia, Steve DiMattia, +1-415-896-6820, or sdimattia@evcgroup.com, all of EVCGroup, for VistCare

Web site: http://www.vistacare.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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