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                                                                    Exhibit 99.1
F O R  I M M E D I A T E   R E L E A S E


                                                                   JULY 10, 2000
                                                   FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                  MIKE CRABTREE - (419) 247-2800
                                                     ERIN IBELE - (419) 247-2800


                        HEALTH CARE REIT, INC. ANNOUNCES
                               TWO KEY PROMOTIONS

Toledo, Ohio, July 10, 2000 - HEALTH CARE REIT, INC. (NYSE/HCN) today announced
the promotions of Ray Braun to Executive Vice President and Mike Crabtree to
Treasurer.

Braun, age 42, has been an officer of the company since 1993, serving as the
company's Chief Operating Officer since 1997. He has successfully managed the
company's investment program and been instrumental in developing the company's
state-of-the-art origination, underwriting and portfolio monitoring
capabilities. Braun was a partner with the law firm of Shumaker, Loop &
Kendrick, Toledo, Ohio, before joining Health Care REIT in 1993. With the
promotion, Braun will devote more of his time and energies to the company's
capital market's activities, serving in the additional capacity of Chief
Financial Officer.

Crabtree, age 43, assumes the additional role of Treasurer after serving as
Controller for the past four years. He spearheaded the modernization of the
company's accounting and financial systems and has worked with other members of
the management team in integrating the financial, accounting and investment
functions and processes. Prior to joining Health Care REIT, Crabtree served as
Chief Financial Officer for Westhaven Services Co., a provider of pharmaceutical
services to nursing homes.

As CFO, Braun replaces Ed Lange who has resigned to pursue other interests.

"Ed Lange has been an excellent CFO, contributing significantly to the growth
and financial strength of our company," said George L. Chapman, Health Care
REIT's Chief Executive Officer. "He has worked effectively with our management
team developing our strategic plan and creating the infrastructure and systems
to professionally manage every aspect of our business. While his talents will be
missed, I am gratified to have Ray Braun, Mike Crabtree and the remainder of the
management team to pick up where Ed left off."


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Chapman cited Braun's success in managing the investment program as well as his
active involvement in the execution of the company's capital plan as key reasons
behind the promotion. "Ray has proven to be a true leader in both the
operational and financial sides of the business," he added. "Mike Crabtree's
appointment to the additional role of Treasurer will further strengthen our core
competencies in the finance area and will assist Ray in executing our strategic
and capital initiatives."

Health Care REIT, Inc., with headquarters in Toledo, Ohio, is a real estate
investment trust that invests in health care facilities, primarily nursing homes
and assisted living facilities. At March 31, 2000, the company had investments
in 235 health care facilities in 33 states and had total assets of approximately
$1.3 billion. For more information on Health Care REIT, Inc., via facsimile at
no cost, dial 1-800-PRO-INFO and enter the company code - HCN. More information
is available on the Internet at http://www.hcreit.com.

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