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Aetna Grants More Than $65,000 to Nevada Nonprofits in 2009

^{Published on 2010-06-11 08:40:42 - Market Wire}
 

LAS VEGAS--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Aetna (NYSE: AET) and the Aetna Foundation in 2009 awarded five community grants and sponsorships in Nevada totaling $67,500, with a particular focus on disease prevention, obesity and health screening.

"As a responsible corporate citizen, we recognize our obligation to help address these critical needs."

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 five grant recipients were:

• UMC Foundation, Inc;
• The Andre Agassi Foundation;
• The American Heart Association;
• Sight for Life; and
• The American Lung Association of the Southwest, Inc.

aAetna is proud to support organizations in Arizona which are making great strides in targeting health care issues that affect our communities,a said Kay Thompson, market head for Aetna in Nevada. aAs a responsible corporate citizen, we recognize our obligation to help address these critical needs.a

The Aetna Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to the UMC Foundation, Inc. to decrease or prevent childhood obesity in preschool children (ages 2-6) served by the Lied Ambulatory Pediatric Center at UMC.

The Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation received a $17,500 grant to support the Rising Stars afterschool tutoring program at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, which serves students where the household income is at or below the poverty level.

Aetna awarded a $10,000 grant to the American Heart Association in support of their annual Go Red for Women campaign, which celebrates the energy and power of women banding together to wipe out heart disease and stroke.

Under a $10,000 grant, Sight for Lifea™s Diabetic Eye Care Program was able to provide eye care for people who have difficult to control diabetes.

The American Lung Association of the Southwest, Inc. received a $5,000 grant for the annual Lung Walk, which raises awareness and money to fight lung diseases.

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/ ].