Sodexho USA Selected As A Preferred Provider by Catholic Health East for Nutrition and Environmental Services

GAITHERSBURG, MD-September 19, 2005-Sodexho USA, the leading provider of food and facilities management services in the nation, announced today that its Health Care Services Division was selected by Catholic Health East (CHE) to be the preferred provider of nutrition and environmental services at 100 CHE-affiliated facilities. Sodexho currently provides services to 12 CHE hospitals in New York, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Under the new arrangement, Sodexho will be the provider of choice for the affiliated facilities when looking to outsource.

“We are very pleased to be selected as the preferred provider by Catholic Health East,” said Matt Reiter, senior vice president of business development for Sodexho's Health Care Services Division. “This system is a recognized leader in healthcare and we look forward to expanding our relationship with CHE.”

In addition to providing services to CHE's acute care hospitals, Sodexho also contracts with a number of long-term care facilities owned by CHE. Reiter added, “The goal of this preferred provider relationship is to increase the quality service for CHE members at a competitive price while streamlining the contracting process.”

“We are excited to partner with an industry leader like Sodexho and to expand our relationship to enhance the satisfaction of our employees, visitors and most importantly our patients,” said Tom Gruber, vice president of materials management for CHE.

About Catholic Health East

CATHOLIC HEALTH EAST is a multi-institutional Catholic health system, which is co-sponsored by 15 religious congregations, and Hope Ministries, a Public Juridic Person within Catholic Health East. Based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, the System provides the means to ensure the continuation of the Catholic identity and operational strength of the sponsors' health ministries, which are located within 11 eastern states from Maine to Florida. The System includes 31 acute care hospitals, 46 freestanding and hospital-based long term care facilities, 12 assisted living facilities, 5 continuing care retirement communities, three behavioral health facilities, three rehabilitation facilities, 18 home health/hospice agencies, and numerous ambulatory and community-based health services. Catholic Health East facilities employ approximately 43,000 full-time employees as partners in ministry. In the U.S. it is the ninth largest health system ranked by net patient revenue; the fourth largest Catholic health system ranked by acute care beds, and the third largest health system operating assisted living facilities ranked by residents. CHE is the largest not-for-profit home health system provider by visits.

About Sodexho USA

Sodexho USA (www.sodexhoUSA.com) is the leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States, with $6 billion in annual revenue and 120,000+ employees. Sodexho USA offers innovative outsourcing solutions in food service, housekeeping, grounds keeping, plant operations and maintenance, asset management, and laundry services to more than 6,000 corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, military and remote sites in North America. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, Sodexho USA proudly serves as the official food service provider for the US Marine Corps.