Prime Medical Services Inc. Opens Eleventh Refractive Center.

Business Editors and Health/Medical Writers

AUSTIN, Texas--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 24, 2000

Prime Medical Services Inc. ("Prime") (Nasdaq:PMSI) announced today the opening of its eleventh refractive vision center, the Morey Mulqueeny Eye Center.

The new center is located in St. Louis, Missouri, and is the second center Prime has opened under its recently announced refractive development program. Kirk P. Morey, M.D., and Sean P. Mulqueeny, O.D., will partner with Prime and operate the new facility.

Brad Hummel, President and CEO, commented, "The new Morey Mulqueeny Eye Center, located in the Creve Coeur section of St. Louis, provides a combination of high-quality medical care and cutting-edge technology. The opening of this center represents the third element of our strategy for Prime's refractive division: to acquire dominant refractive vision practices, to achieve organic growth and expansion of those centers, and finally to develop new centers in markets that represent opportunities for growth. We are excited about the contribution this new partnership will make toward bringing Prime Medical Services closer to its goal of doubling the size of the Company."

"Prime's continuing success in partnering with both urologists and ophthalmologists attracted us to the Company. Management's commitment to keeping its centers on the cutting edge of refractive technology is evidenced by the fact that the Morey Mulqueeny Eye Center has the city's first LadarVision(R) eye-tracking laser," stated Dr. Kirk Morey.

Dr. Sean Mulqueeny added, "The Morey Mulqueeny Eye Center provides our patients quality health care and leading technology at a very affordable price. The staff at our center has received tremendous support from Prime's development team as we put the infrastructure in place in preparation for today's opening. The reaction of the community to our new center has been quite enthusiastic."

Kirk P. Morey, M.D., received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with Highest Honors, at Purdue University in 1981, before receiving his Doctor of Medicine from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1983. Dr. Morey served his residency in Ophthalmology at St. Louis University before being named Chief Resident in 1989, and has been in private practice in General Ophthalmology in St. Louis since 1989.

Sean P. Mulqueeny, O.D., a native of St. Louis, graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Missouri School of Optometry. He began practicing in 1991, and in 1993 was appointed clinical Assistant Professor of the University. Dr. Mulqueeny is a distinguished teacher of optometry, including craniopharyngioma and refractive surgical procedures. He has been the recipient of many awards including the Award for Clinical Excellence in the area of Ocular Disease and the Vision Service Plan Scholarship for Clinical excellence. He specializes in the management of ocular diseases and the co-management of refractive and cataract surgery.

Prime currently operates a fleet of 65 lithotripters and 11 refractive surgery centers in 32 states. These centers perform approximately 37,000 lithotripsy and 30,000 LASIK procedures on an annualized basis. Lithotripsy is a cost-effective, non-invasive method for treating kidney stones through the use of extracorporeal shock waves that pulverize kidney stones and permit them to pass painlessly from the body. LASIK refractive surgery, one of the most advanced forms of laser vision correction, is designed to improve vision and reduce dependence on glasses and contacts by correcting nearsightedness and astigmatism. In addition, Prime offers thermotherapy services to hospitals and surgery centers to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) without damaging surrounding tissues. Prime also provides installation, upgrade, manufacturing, refurbishment, and repair services for major medical equipment manufacturers and mobile medical service providers.

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical, including statements regarding plans, objective and future financial performance, are "forward-looking" statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although Prime believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that the expectations will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Prime's expectations include, among others, the existence of demand for and acceptance of Prime's services, the availability of appropriate candidates for acquisition by Prime, regulatory approvals, economic conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, financing efforts and other factors described from time to time in Prime's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.