SUBJECT:

Open Enrollment

Dear Colleagues:

University of California employees have an opportunity through
November 24 to make choices regarding health plans and providers.

UCSD Healthcare, the comprehensive system of patient services provided
by UCSD's renowned faculty physicians and top quality staff, is
available as a provider option through all of the health plans offered
to UCSD employees except Kaiser. I encourage you to consider UCSD
Healthcare as a provider when you review your health coverage options.

UCSD Healthcare provides convenient access to a full range of primary
care services, including pediatrics and adolescent medicine, family
practice, internal medicine, ob-gyn and health care for seniors. The
UCSD Center for Women's Health provides primary care by women
physicians. UCSD physician offices are located in La Jolla,
Hillcrest, Mira Mesa, Tierrasanta and Encinitas, and UCSD Healthcare
Network further expands access for patients who want to choose UCSD.

UCSD's excellent primary care doctors work closely with our
internationally respected faculty specialists, whose patients come
from around the world for diagnosis and treatment. The 1996 U.S. News
and World Report ranked UCSD Medical Center as one of the nation's
best hospitals in nine specialties: cancer, cardiology, endocrinology,
geriatrics, orthopedics, otolaryngology, rheumatology, urology and
AIDS. Creating a bridge between research and patient care, UCSD
physicians are the first to bring innovative medicine to the patient.
Patients can access the latest advances in diagnostic technologies and
treatments through the Clinical Research Center, the region's only
National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, and through nearly
a thousand clinical studies currently under way. You can learn more
about these through UCSD's unique online service
http://health.ucsd.edu/

You may be aware of discussions under way regarding possible
affiliation between the UCSD hospitals and other local systems. I
want to emphasize that these exploratory talks are focused on
strengthening our academic medical centers in the changing San Diego
market.

The superb patient care provided by our physicians will continue to be
a fundamental component of UCSD Healthcare, no matter what decisions
are made regarding the hospitals. Education, research and community
service round out our core mission as the region's only academic
health care system, and any new affiliations that develop will be
forged to support and enhance these endeavors.

As Chancellor and as a consumer of UCSD Healthcare's services, I can
assure you that selecting a UCSD physician as your primary care
provider is a sound investment in your health now and into the future.

Sincerely, Robert C. Dynes Chancellor