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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.7


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


                                                  April 17, 2001
                                                  For more information contact:
                                                  Ray Braun (419) 247-2800
                                                  Mike Crabtree (419) 247-2800

                HEALTH CARE REIT, INC. DECLARES REGULAR DIVIDEND

Toledo, Ohio, April 17, 2001...HEALTH CARE REIT, INC. (NYSE/HCN) announced today
that its Board of Directors declared a dividend for the quarter ended March 31,
2001, of $0.585 per share.

The dividend represents the 120th consecutive dividend payment. The dividend
will be payable May 21, 2001, to shareholders of record on May 1, 2001.

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 December 31, 2000, the company had
investments in 205 health care facilities in 34 states and had total assets of
approximately $1.16 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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