PORTLAND, Ore., Jun 11, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --Aetna (NYSE: AET) and the Aetna Foundation in 2009 awarded seven community grants and sponsorships in Oregon totaling $107,500, with a particular focus on disease prevention, obesity and health screening.

The contributions support Aetna'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 Oregon grant recipients were:

• Familias en Accion;
• Oregon Health & Science University Foundation;
• Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation;
• Children's Health Foundation, Inc.;
• Clackamas Women's Services;
• Native Wellness Institute; and
• Arthritis Foundation, Pacific Northwest Chapter.

"Aetna is proud to support organizations in Oregon which are making great strides in targeting health care issues that affect our communities," said Norm Seabrooks, market head for Aetna in Oregon. "As a responsible corporate citizen, we recognize our obligation to help address these critical needs."

The Aetna Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to Familias en Accion to hire a part-time family health educator to teach young Latino families about chronic diseases and risk factors as well as supporting the families in making behavioral and lifestyle changes.

Oregon Health & Science University Foundation received a $25,000 grant for their Get Going Oregon program that will challenge the participants to change their behaviors by committing to walk 10,000 steps per day for 100 days.

The Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation received a $25,000 grant for the Reclaiming Your Life program that provides education and support to improve overall health through nutrition, exercise and education.

Under a $10,000 grant, the Children's Health Foundation, Inc. on their asthma care management improvement initiative that focuses on developing a care management model for children utilizing the 2007 National Heart Lung and Blood Institute asthma guidelines.

The Aetna Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to Clackamas Women's Services to support their teen outreach program that provides teens with crucial information on relationship violence, domestic violence and sexual assault.

The Native Wellness Institute received a $7,500 grant to host a Native Youth Leadership and Athletic Academy that focuses on leadership and skill development for Native youth between the ages of 12 and 18.

Aetna awarded a $5,000 sponsorship the Arthritis Foundation, Pacific Northwest Chapter, for their Jingle Bell Run/Walk, which raises money to help the Arthritis Foundation's mission of improving lives through leadership in prevention and control and to find a cure for arthritis and related diseases.

"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," said Anne Beal, MD, MPH, president of the Aetna Foundation. "For 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."

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.

• Addressing the 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 nation'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/.

SOURCE: Aetna

Aetna
Anjie Coplin, 214-200-8056
CoplinA@aetna.com