4 1 NYSE0001190348 Director Beverly Enterprises, Inc. 000104044162-1691861 04/03/03 4 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 4 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP [ ] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person(s) HOWE, MD, JOHN P One Thousand Beverly Way Fort Smith Arkansas 72919 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Beverly Enterprises, Inc. (BEV) 3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (Voluntary) 4. Statement for Month/Day/Year 4/3/2003 5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year) 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) [X] Director [ ] 10% Owner [ ] Officer (give title below) [ ] Other (specify below) BOARD OF DIRECTOR 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) [X] Form filed by One Reporting Person [ ] Form filed by More than One Reporting Person Table I Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Security 2)Trans- 3.Trans- 4.Securities Acquired(A) 5)Amount of 6) 7)Nature of action action or Disposed of (D) Securities Indirect Date Code A Beneficially D Beneficial (Month/ or Owned at or Ownership Day/Year) Code V Amount D Price End of Month I ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table II (PART 1) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1 through 6) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Derivative 2)Conversion 3)Trans- 4)Trans- 5)Number of Derivative 6)Date Exercisable and Security or Exercise action action Securities Acquired (A) Expiration Date Price of Date Code or Disposed of (D) Derivative Security Code V A D Exercisable Expiration ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PHANTOM STOCK UNITS (1) 04/01/03 J 1,021.8302 Table II (PART 2) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1,3 and 7 through 11) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Derivative 3)Trans- 7)Title and Amount 8)Price 9)Number of 10) 11)Nature of Security action of Underlying of Deri- Derivative Indirect Date Securities vative Securities D Beneficial Amount or Security Beneficially or Ownership Number of Owned at I - Title Shares End of Month ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PHANTOM STOCK UNITS (1) 04/01/03 $.10 Par Value Common Stock 1,021.8302 $2.0900 17,327.4284 D Direct Explanation of Responses: (1) NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS DEFERRED COMPENSATION UNITS/STOCKS CREDITED EACH MONTH TOGETHER WITH THE COMPANY MATCH. SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON /S/ By: MONA BRANNON For: JOHN P HOWE, MD DATE 04/03/03