Health & Fitness
Health and Fitness
Health and Fitness
Mon, February 9, 2009
Sun, February 8, 2009
Fri, February 6, 2009
Thu, February 5, 2009 Aetna Awarded $590,000 to Los Angeles Nonprofits in 2008
LOS ANGELES--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Aetna (NYSE: AET) and the Aetna awarded community grants and sponsorships totaling $590,000, with a particular focus on serving the needs of the diverse communities throughout Greater Los Angeles.
The contributions support Aetna's commitment to enhancing the quality of health care, and reducing racial and ethnic disparities. In total, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation awarded more than $25 million nationally in 2008.
Among the grant recipients in Greater Los Angeles were:
- Students Run America;
- National Black MBA Association;
- The American Heart Association;
- The Alzheimer's Association;
- Los Angeles Christian Health Centers; and
- St. Vincent's Medical Center.
Eighteen other organizations also received grants and-or-sponsorships including American Indian Healing, Arthritis Foundation, Black Chamber of Commerce of Orange County; DangerMan Education Foundation; El Viento Foundation; Glodine Kennedy Foundation; Jewish Free Loan Association; Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center; Latino Diabetes Association; Magic Johnson Foundation; National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurses Association; National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Pacific South Coast Chapter; New Hope Grief Support Community; Sharp HealthCare Foundation; Southern California Indian Center; Today's Woman; and Valley Interfaith Council.
"Aetna is proud to support organizations in Los Angeles which are making great strides in targeting health care issues that affect our communities," said Brian Ternan, region head for Aetna in California. "As a responsible corporate citizen, we recognize our obligation to help address these critical needs."
The Aetna Foundation awarded $150,000 for a two-year sponsorship to Students Run America, which provides at-risk students a safe, supervised program of exercise, mentoring and goal setting. Students will train 5-15 hours each week to prepare for the Los Angeles Marathon.
A $50,000 grant was given to the National Black MBA Association for its program "The Business of Health Care: Economics and Business Implications," which provides comprehensive and critical health care information to the African-American business community.
The American Heart Association received a $50,000 grant for its START! program, which targets companies to create a culture of physical activity and health for their employees through walking programs.
Under a $35,000 grant, the Alzheimer's Association offered a family services program, which provides caregiver education and training; an Alzheimer's hotline; a safe-return registry; and the Regan family respite fund.
The Aetna Foundation awarded a $30,000 grant to the Los Angeles Christian Health Centers, which provides comprehensive care for homeless and low-income patients with chronic diseases, including diabetes and hypertension.
The St. Vincent Medical Center received a $25,000 grant for the Community Diabetes Education Program, which links existing health resources within St. Vincent's and surrounding communities in order to better serve the health needs of low-income and underserved people in Los Angeles who are diabetic or at risk of diabetes.
About the Aetna Foundation
The Aetna Foundation is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. Founded in 1972, the Foundation seeks to help build healthy communities by funding initiatives that improve the quality of life where our employees and customers work and live.
The Foundation's giving is focused on health, diversity and employee community involvement, with broader programs in our home state of Connecticut. Since 1980, the Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed over $334 million in grants, sponsorships and social investments. In 2007, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation contributed $24.5 million nationally.
Additional information about the Aetna Foundation is available at [ www.aetna.com/foundation ].
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see [ www.aetna.com ].
