Gary and Mary West Foundation Commits $45 Million to Create Wireless Health Institute

Gary and Mary West Foundation Commits $45 Million to Create Wireless Health
Institute

Scripps Health, Qualcomm Join Forces as Founding Health Care Affiliate,
Founding Sponsor

SAN DIEGO, March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gary and Mary West Foundation
today committed $45 million to create the West Wireless Health Institute, one
of world's first medical research organizations dedicated to advancing health
and well-being through the use of wireless technologies. Scripps Health has
signed on as the founding health care affiliate, with Qualcomm as a founding
sponsor.

Gary West is Founder and Chair of the Institute's board of directors. He will
be joined on the board by Dr. Eric J. Topol, Chief Academic Officer at Scripps
Health and holder of the Gary and Mary West Chair of Innovative Medicine, and
Donald Jones, vice president of Health and Life Sciences at Qualcomm. The
Institute is headquartered in San Diego, California, the global hub for
wireless life science research and development.

"We believe this emerging field will completely transform health care as we
know it," said West. "The Institute aims to be the catalyst to move ideas and
concepts quickly into reality, bringing cost-effective wireless health
solutions to doctors, patients and their families."

Under the leadership of Dr. Topol, the Institute and its research team will
conduct clinical research on solutions to better prevent, diagnose, manage and
treat major health conditions, ranging from Alzheimer's to heart disease to
obesity. The Institute will build a base of biomedical and bioengineering
expertise to ensure that devices in development improve the existing level of
care, and are safe, reliable, and cost effective.

"The rapid and remarkable progress in wireless sensors - continuously tracking
important parameters such as blood sugar, blood pressure, all vital signs,
sleep state and even caloric intake and expenditure - has the potential to
change medicine in a radical and unprecedented way," said Dr. Topol. "Not
only does this fit the optimal models of individualized and consumer-driven
health care, but there is tremendous potential to upgrade quality of care,
reduce the cost burden and shift away from reactive to preventive medicine."

Jones and the Institute's engineering team will lead the integration of
wireless technology with the clinical research activity.

"The Institute will enable inventors, medical device makers and others to
hatch, nurture and refine their ideas for wireless health solutions," said
Jones. "We believe the launch of the West Wireless Health Institute will lead
to levels of care never before seen in the delivery of healthcare."

The Board of Directors has launched a global search for a chief executive
officer to lead the Institute. For more information on the West Wireless
Health Institute, please visit www.westwirelesshealth.com.

ABOUT THE WEST WIRELESS HEALTH INSTITUTE

The West Wireless Health Institute is one of the first medical research
organizations in the world supporting the exploration and application of
wireless technologies to advance human health and well-being. Along with
Scripps Health and Qualcomm, the Institute is fostering an unprecedented
convergence of science, medicine, engineering and technology to change the way
health care is delivered. The West Wireless Health Institute is based in San
Diego, California.

ABOUT SCRIPPS HEALTH

Founded in 1924 by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps Health is a
$2 billion nonprofit community health system based in San Diego, Calif.
Scripps treats a half-million patients annually through the dedication of
2,600 affiliated physicians and 12,700 employees among its five acute-care
hospital campuses, home health care services, and an ambulatory care network
of clinics, physician offices and outpatient centers. Recognized as a leader
in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, Scripps is also at the
forefront of clinical research and graduate medical education. Scripps Health
includes: Scripps Green Hospital, Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, Scripps
Memorial Hospital La Jolla, two Scripps Mercy Hospital campuses, 10 Scripps
Clinic locations, nine Scripps Coastal Medical Center locations, Scripps Home
Health Care Services and Scripps Clinical Research Services. More information
can be found at www.scripps.org.

ABOUT QUALCOMM

Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering
innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA
and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Qualcomm
is included in the S&P 100 Index, the S&P 500 Index and is a 2008 FORTUNE
500(R) company. For more information, please visit www.qualcomm.com.

Media Contacts:

Michele Guthrie, Gary and Mary West Foundation
Phone: 858.449.0957
Email: media@westwirelesshealth.com

Steve Carpowich, Scripps Health
Phone: 858-356-7476 or 858-678-7183
Email: carpowich.stephen@scrippshealth.org

Bertha Agia, Qualcomm
Phone: 1-858-845-5959
Email: corpcomm@qualcomm.com

SOURCE Qualcomm Incorporated; Scripps Health; The West Wireless Health
Institute

Media, Michele Guthrie of the Gary and Mary West Foundation, +1-858-449-0957,
media@westwirelesshealth.com; or Steve Carpowich of Scripps Health,
+1-858-356-7476, +1-858-678-7183, carpowich.stephen@scrippshealth.org; or
Bertha Agia of Qualcomm, +1-858-845-5959, corpcomm@qualcomm.com