Health & Fitness
Health and Fitness
Health and Fitness
Mon, June 14, 2010
Sat, June 12, 2010
Fri, June 11, 2010 
TULSA, Okla.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Aetna (NYSE: AET) and the Aetna Foundation in 2009 awarded seven community grants and sponsorships in Oklahoma totaling $75,000, with a particular focus on disease prevention, obesity and health screening.
"Aetna is proud to support organizations in Oklahoma which are making great strides in targeting health care issues that affect our communities"
The contributions support Aetnaa™s commitment to enhancing the quality of health care, and reducing racial and ethnic disparities. In total, the Aetna Foundation, Aetna and its employees, awarded more than $24 million nationally in 2009.
The seven Oklahoma grant recipients were:
- Oklahoma City Indian Clinic;
- The Oklahoma City Area Inter-tribal Health Board Foundation;
- The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center;
- Central Oklahoma Integrated Network System, Inc.;
- Norman Regional Health Foundation;
- Perry Memorial Hospital Authority; and
- Western Village Academy.
aAetna is proud to support organizations in Oklahoma which are making great strides in targeting health care issues that affect our communities,a said Ralph Holmes, market head for Aetna in Oklahoma. aAs a responsible corporate citizen, we recognize our obligation to help address these critical needs.a
The Aetna Foundation gave a $25,000 grant to the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic for Project POWER, an after-school program that provides healthy lifestyle, obesity reduction/prevention and diabetes prevention education through eating healthy and exercising.
The Oklahoma City Area Inter-Tribal Health Board Foundation received a $20,000 donation to support the Wound Care Program in its efforts to develop a telemedicine system that would ultimately optimize availability of wound care services and impact healing rates.
Under a $10,000 grant, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center conducted a weeklong camp for American Indian youth to promote physical, spiritual and emotional health.
The Central Oklahoma Integrated Network System, Inc. received a $5,000 grant for their Hoops on Health 3 on 3 basketball tournament to encourage the community participation in health education activities, screenings and immunizations in a fun atmosphere.
The Aetna Foundation gave a $5,000 grant to the Norman Regional Health Foundation for its Produce Project, which aims to reduce obesity by improving the diets of Cleveland County residents by making fresh produce affordable and accessible.
The Perry Memorial Hospital Authority received a $5,000 grant for their Walk This Weigh Perry program, which encourages the residents of Perry to become a more active community through educational materials, motivational speakers, and activities such as a Wii Fit Challenge.
Under a $5,000 grant, the Western Village Academy was able to send 1,200 high school students and 1,200 fifth-to-eighth graders to attend a workshop with best-selling authors Dr. Sampson Davis, Dr. George Jenkins and Dr. Rameck Hunt, who co-wrote We Beat the Street and The Pact. The students were able to hear an inspirational message of friendship that carried the authors through peer pressure, gang violence, drug use, and the challenges of being young and African-American.
aAetna and the Aetna Foundation are proud to partner with organizations across the country in support of their good work, and we look forward to continued relationships as we focus our giving in key areas going forward,a said Anne Beal, MD, MPH, president of the Aetna Foundation. aFor 2010 and beyond, we are transitioning to a new approach that encompasses a more concentrated grant-making focus on specific health issues of national concern, enhanced communication and measurement of the impact of our grants, a more proportionate distribution of our charitable giving across the country, and a more holistic relationship with our community partners that capitalizes on our employee presence and the generosity and talents of our employee volunteers.a
The Aetna Foundation has opened the call for proposals for the 2010 grant cycle. Grant applicants should visit [ www.aetnafoundation.org ] for more information on how to apply for a grant and to learn more about the following Aetna Foundation focus areas for grant making in 2010 and beyond:
- Addressingthe rising incidence of obesity among U.S. residents, including children;
- Promoting racial and ethnic equity in health and health care for common chronic conditions and for the prevention of infant mortality; and
- Advancing integrated health care, by:
- Improving coordination and communications among health care professionals;
- Creating informed and involved patients; and
- Promoting cost-effective, affordable care.
About the Aetna Foundation
The Aetna Foundation is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. Since 1980, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed over $379 million in grants and sponsorships. Asa national health foundation, wepromote wellness, health, and access to high-quality health care for everyone. This work isenhanced bythe time and commitment of Aetna employees, who have volunteerednearly2 million hourssince 2003. Ourcurrentgivingis focused on addressing the rising rate of adult and childhoodobesity in the U.S.; promoting racial and ethnic equity inhealth and health care; and advancing integrated health care. For more information,visit [ www.AetnaFoundation.org ].
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nationa™s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.1 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 ] and Aetnaa™s Annual Report at [ www.aetna.com/2009annualreport/ ].
