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Aetna Foundation Awards Grants Totaling $111,000 to Three Georgia Organizations

Posted on: Thursday, 30 November 2006, 09:01 CST

The Aetna Foundation announced that it has awarded grants totaling $111,000 to three organizations located in Georgia.

The amounts and recipients of the grants are:

$50,000 to Oakhurst Medical Centers of Stone Mountain;

$46,000 to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta;

$15,000 to the DDD Foundation of Atlanta.

"Like other states, Georgia is faced with a number of serious health care challenges. As a major insurer and employer in the state, Aetna is committed to helping organizations that are working to address these issues," said Dave Queller, head of National Accounts for Aetna's Southeast Region. "Improving the health status and awareness of Georgia citizens is a responsibility we take very seriously."

Aetna awarded a $50,000 grant to support a depression screening and treatment program run by Oakhurst Medical Centers. The program will be conducted within a primary care setting in DeKalb County, which has a predominantly African-American community. The program will work to reduce the stigma of seeking needed mental health and provide affordable access to care for low-income residents.

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta received a $46,000 grant to support its "Fit Kids" childhood obesity intervention program. Fit Kids is a six-week, community-based nutrition and physical education program that works to create a "lifestyle makeover" for families with overweight children. Pediatricians refer families to the program and work closely with a program coordinator to provide initial screenings and follow-up.

Aetna awarded a $15,000 grant to the DDD Foundation in Atlanta to help implement a children's dental services and outreach program. Through routine preventive care and dental education, the program aims to help Atlanta children maintain good, lifelong oral health.

The Aetna Foundation is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. Founded in 1972, the Foundation helps build healthy communities by promoting volunteerism, forming partnerships and funding initiatives that improve the quality of life where our employees and customers live and work.

Since inception of this program in 2001, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have awarded more than $11 million to address critical health issues in communities across the country. The 2006 program focuses on supporting philanthropic initiatives that target depression, childhood health (oral health and obesity, including diabetes) and end-of-life care. Special consideration is given to programs that serve racially and ethnically diverse populations and that enhance access to quality health information and health care..

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 29.8 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. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans. www.aetna.com

Source: Business Wire

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