[HEALTH CARE REIT LETTERHEAD]



                                                                   Exhibit 99.2

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


                                                 April 16, 2002
                                                 For more information contact:
                                                 Ray Braun (419) 247-2800
                                                 Mike Crabtree (419) 247-2800

                HEALTH CARE REIT, INC. DECLARES REGULAR DIVIDEND


Toledo, Ohio, April 16, 2002...HEALTH CARE REIT, INC. (NYSE/HCN) announced
today that its Board of Directors declared a dividend for the quarter ended
March 31, 2002, of $0.585 per share.

The dividend represents the 124th consecutive dividend payment. The dividend
will be payable May 20, 2002, to shareholders of record on April 30, 2002.

Health Care REIT, Inc., with headquarters in Toledo, Ohio, is a real estate
investment trust that invests in health care facilities, primarily skilled
nursing and assisted living facilities. At December 31, 2001, the company had
investments in 214 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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