Aetna Grants More Than $90,000 to Austin Nonprofits in 2009

AUSTIN, Texas, June 11, 2010 — Aetna (NYSE: AET) and the Aetna Foundation in 2009 awarded 14 community grants and sponsorships in Austin totaling $93,500, 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. 

Among the community grants awarded in Austin were:

• $25,000 to the CMC Foundation of Central Texas;
•  $15,000 to the Seton Fund of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul, Inc.;
• $7,500 to the Youth and Family Alliance; and
• $5,000 to the Center for Child Protection.

Ten other organizations in Austin also received Aetna grants or sponsorships including the American Lung Association, Austin Community Foundation, Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas, Junior Achievement of Central Texas, Muscular Dystrophy Association,
Texas Pediatric Society, Junior League of Austin, The University of Texas at Austin, Travis County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survival Center, and Volunteer Healthcare Clinic.

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

The Aetna Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to the CMC Foundation of Central Texas to support their Healthy Living, Happy Living class to teach low-income participants about the risks of childhood obesity.

The Seton Fund of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul received a $15,000 grant for their community health centers that provide basic medical care; prescriptions and medications; health screenings; lab testing; counseling; education programs; and immunizations. The clinics serve predominately low-income Hispanic patients who are at a disproportionate risk for diabetes and obesity.

The Youth and Family Alliance received a $7,500 sponsorship for their 16th annual Lifeworks Academy Awards Gala which raised money to continue offering counseling to youth and families as well as to support their training programs that prepare kids to become healthy, successful adults.

A $5,000 sponsorship was given to the Center for Child Protection’s Dancing with the Stars event to raise awareness and funding for the free services provided to children and families who have suffered physical and emotional abuse. 

“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:

o Improving coordination and communications among health care professionals;
o Creating informed and involved patients; and
o 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/.