Aetna Grants $867,000 to Georgia Nonprofits in 2009

ATLANTA--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Aetna (NYSE: AET) and the Aetna Foundation in 2009 awarded community grants and sponsorships in Georgia totaling $867,000, with a particular focus on disease prevention, obesity and health screening.

"Aetna 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"

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 27 Georgia grant recipients were:

100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc.;
American Diabetes Association, Atlanta chapter;
Association of Black Cardiologists;
Atlanta Urban League;
Atlanta Workforce Development Agency;
Center for Puppetry Arts Inc.;
CHOICES (Center Helping Obesity in Children End Successfully) Inc.;
Cherokee Family Violence Center Inc.;
Childrena�s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation;
Diabetes Association of Atlanta Inc.;
Dynamos Parents Club Inc.;
Georgia Center for Nonprofits Inc.;
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation;
March of Dimes Foundation (Savannah, Ga.);
National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc.;
National Sales Network;
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church;
Ryan Cameron Foundation;
Special Olympics Georgia Inc.;
The Carter Center Inc.;
The Foundation for Public Broadcasting in Georgia Inc.;
The Martin Luther King Jr. Center;
The Medical Center (Columbus, Ga.);
The National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation Inc.;
The Stewart Foundation;
Trumpet Awards Foundation Inc.; and
University Health Care Foundation Inc. (Augusta, Ga.);

aAetna is proud to support organizations in Georgia that are making great strides in targeting health care issues that affect our communities,a said John Price, market president for Aetna in Georgia. aWea�re particularly happy to be involved again this year in programs that focus on reducing health care disparities.a

The largest of those grants was for $90,000 given to the 100 Black Men of Atlanta in support of Health Power 2009, the organizationa�s program to raise awareness about racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Aetna was co-sponsor of Brain Trust/Issues Summit II, a panel discussion that focused on education, access to health care and the U.S. economy.

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. As a national health foundation, we promote wellness, health, and access to high-quality health care for everyone. This work is enhanced by the time and commitment of Aetna employees, who have volunteered nearly 2 million hours since 2003. Our current giving is focused on addressing the rising rate of adult and childhood obesity in the U.S.; promoting racial and ethnic equity in health 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 Aetna's Annual Report at [ www.aetna.com/2009annualreport ].

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Aetna Grants $867,000 to Georgia Nonprofits in 2009