Ventas Appoints Christopher T. Hannon to Board

Ventas Appoints Christopher T. Hannon to Board 


LOUISVILLE, Ky., Sept. 9  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)
("Ventas" or the "Company") said today that it has appointed Christopher T.
Hannon, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Province
Healthcare Company (NYSE:PRV), to its Board of Directors, effective
immediately.

"As a senior executive with one of the nation's largest non-urban hospital
companies, Chris brings to our Board deep experience and credibility in the
hospital sector and in healthcare finance," Ventas Chairman, CEO and President
Debra A. Cafaro said.  "He will be an important asset to Ventas, particularly
as we continue our growth and diversification efforts.

"With the appointment of Chris, six of our seven Board members are independent
Directors.  This underscores our commitment to best practices in corporate
governance, which we believe is an important component for building shareholder
value," Cafaro added.

Since 2002, Hannon, who is 42, has been senior vice president and chief
financial officer of Province, which he joined in 1997. (Province has recently
announced that it has agreed to be acquired by LifePoint Hospitals, Inc.
(NASDAQ:LPNT).)  Prior to 1997, Hannon was a vice president with SunTrust
Banks, Inc. where he was a senior healthcare lender.

Hannon will serve on the Company's Audit and Compliance Committee.  He will
replace Jay M.  Gellert, who will continue to chair Ventas's Executive
Committee and sit on its Nominating and Governance Committee.

Ventas was assisted in its search by Heidrick & Struggles.

Ventas, Inc. is a leading healthcare real estate investment trust that owns
healthcare and senior housing assets in 39 states.  Its properties include
hospitals, nursing facilities and assisted and independent living facilities. 
More information about Ventas can be found on its website at
http://www.ventasreit.com/ .

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding Ventas,
Inc.'s ("Ventas" or the "Company") and its subsidiaries' expected future
financial position, results of operations, cash flows, funds from operations,
dividends and dividend plans, financing plans, business strategy, budgets,
projected costs, capital expenditures, competitive positions, growth
opportunities, expected lease income, continued qualification as a real estate
investment trust ("REIT"), plans and objectives of management for future
operations and statements that include words such as "anticipate," "if,"
"believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should,"
"will" and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Such
forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and security holders must
recognize that actual results may differ from the Company's expectations. The
Company does not undertake a duty to update such forward-looking statements.

Actual future results and trends for the Company may differ materially
depending on a variety of factors discussed in the Company's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"). Factors that may affect
the plans or results of the Company include, without limitation, (a) the
ability and willingness of Kindred Healthcare, Inc. ("Kindred") and certain of
its affiliates to continue to meet and/or perform their obligations under their
contractual arrangements with the Company and the Company's subsidiaries,
including without limitation the lease agreements and various agreements
entered into by the Company and Kindred at the time of the Company's spin off
of Kindred on May 1, 1998 (the "1998 Spin Off"), as such agreements may have
been amended and restated in connection with Kindred's emergence from
bankruptcy on April 20, 2001, (b) the ability and willingness of Kindred to
continue to meet and/or perform its obligation to indemnify and defend the
Company for all litigation and other claims relating to the healthcare
operations and other assets and liabilities transferred to Kindred in the 1998
Spin Off, (c) the ability of Kindred and the Company's other operators, tenants
and borrowers to maintain the financial strength and liquidity necessary to
satisfy their respective obligations and duties under the leases and other
agreements with the Company, and their existing credit agreements, (d) the
Company's success in implementing its business strategy and the Company's
ability to identify, consummate and integrate  diversifying acquisitions or
investments, (e) the nature and extent of future competition, (f) the extent of
future healthcare reform and regulation, including cost containment measures
and changes in reimbursement policies, procedures and rates, (g) increases in
the cost of borrowing for the Company, (h) the ability of the Company's
operators to deliver high quality care and to attract patients, (i) the results
of litigation affecting the Company, (j) changes in general economic conditions
and/or economic conditions in the markets in which the Company may, from time
to time, compete, (k) the ability of the Company to pay down, refinance,
restructure, and/or extend its indebtedness as it becomes due, (l) the movement
of interest rates and the resulting impact on the value of and the accounting
for the Company's interest rate swap agreement, (m) the ability and willingness
of the Company to maintain its qualification as a REIT due to economic, market,
legal, tax or other considerations, (n) final determination of the Company's
taxable net income for the year ending December 31, 2004, (o) the ability and
willingness of the Company's tenants to renew their leases with the Company
upon expiration of the leases and the Company's ability to relet its properties
on the same or better terms in the event such leases expire and are not renewed
by the existing tenants, and (p) the impact on the liquidity, financial
condition and results of operations of Kindred and the Company's other
operators resulting from increased operating costs and uninsured liabilities
for professional liability claims, and the ability of Kindred and the Company's
other operators to accurately estimate the magnitude of such liabilities. Many
of such factors are beyond the control of the Company and its management. 

DATASOURCE: Ventas, Inc.



CONTACT:  Debra A. Cafaro, Chairman, President and CEO, or Richard A.

Schweinhart, Senior Vice President and CFO, [phone], both of Ventas,

Inc.



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

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