Aetna Awards $2.25 Million in Grants to Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities and End-of-Life Care.

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Aetna (NYSE: AET) through the Aetna Foundation has awarded $2.25 million in 14 grants for programs across the country that address racial and ethnic health disparities and end-of-life care. Many of the grants are specifically designed to reach across cultural sensitivities to ensure quality care at the end of life.

"We believe that the health care system can do better at meeting the needs of the dying, which can include pain and symptom management, help in achieving a sense of control, and support for the emotional and spiritual needs of both patients and their caregivers," said John W. Rowe, M.D., chair and CEO of Aetna. "One of the reasons that Aetna has taken a leadership role on this issue is that we see an important intersection in the need to address racial and ethnic disparities in order to help all Americans cope with the complex and emotional issues associated with the end of life."

Aetna's new quality of care grant program complements the Aetna Foundation's existing regional grants program, which also focuses on addressing health care disparities. The 14 grants range in dollar amount from $50,000 to $300,000, with most falling in the $150,000 range. Eighty percent of the grants represent funding of brand new initiatives.

"We were surprised and delighted with the strong response to our inaugural quality of care grants program which indicates a shared interest in expanding access to culturally sensitive care, including care at the end of life," noted Marilda Gandara, president of the Aetna Foundation. "We are particularly excited about the potential the funded programs offer for replication nationwide, long-term partnerships and sharing of lessons learned. It is gratifying to see the nonprofit community at the forefront of addressing some of the most critical issues in health care today."

Quality of Care grant programs include development of a best practice model for end-of-life care in urban trauma centers, a video series to help seriously ill adolescents better communicate with their families and doctors, programs to empower African Americans in end-of-life decision-making, palliative care training programs for nurses and social workers and palliative care programs specifically designed for Somali, Hispanic and Asian communities. (See complete description of quality of care grant recipients below).

About the Aetna Foundation

The Aetna Foundation is the independent philanthropic organization within Aetna. Founded in 1972, the Foundation seeks to help build healthy communities by funding initiatives that improve the quality of life where our employees and customers work and live. Since 1980, the Aetna Foundation has contributed more than $270 million in grants, scholarships and social investments. The Foundation supports innovative programs that lead the way in improving the quality of health care and reducing disparities among racial and ethnic populations. Additional information about the Aetna Foundation is available at www.aetna.com/foundation.

About Aetna

As one of the nation's leading providers of health care, dental, pharmacy, group life, disability and long-term care benefits, Aetna puts information and helpful resources to work for its approximately 14.4 million medical members, 12.8 million dental members, 9.0 million pharmacy members and 14.0 million group insurance members to help them make better informed decisions about their health care and protect their finances against health-related risks. Aetna provides easy access to cost-effective health care through a nationwide network of more than 672,000 health care professionals, including approximately 400,000 primary care and specialist doctors and 4,084 hospitals. For more information, please visit www.Aetna.com. (Figures as of March 31, 2005)

Aetna Quality of Care Grant Recipients

--Alianza Dominicana, Inc. - New York, NY

$200,000 to help community health workers bridge the gap between health and social service systems and the low-income, minority communities they live in and serve

--Alta Bates Summit Foundation on behalf of Ethnic Health Institute - Berkeley, CA

$50,000 for a program to empower African-Americans in end-of-life decision-making

--Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope - Duarte, CA

$150,000 for a pediatric palliative care nursing training program

--Centre for Asians and Pacific Islanders - Minneapolis, MN

$50,000 for a family health literacy program

--Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life - Durham, NC

$150,000 for training using APPEAL (A Progressive Palliative Care Educational Curriculum for the Care of African Americans at Life's End)

--Hartford Hospital in collaboration with the American Trauma Society - Hartford, CT

$295,000 to develop and test a best practice model for end-of-life care in trauma

--John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital - Chicago, IL

$175,000 to address palliative care needs in a trauma setting

--National Association of Social Workers Foundation - Washington, DC

$155,000 to enhance the role of social work in eliminating health disparities in end-of-life care

--National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization - Alexandria, VA

$100,000 to develop a diversity toolkit to increase minority participation in end-of-life care

--OhioHealth Foundation - Columbus, OH

$225,000 to improve end-of-life care and support services for Columbus' Hispanic, Asian and Somali communities

--Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation - Los Angeles, CA

$100,000 for a video initiative to promote communication among seriously ill adolescents, their families and doctors and nurses

--Truman Medical Center Charitable Foundation - Kansas City, MO

$150,000 to establish a palliative care consultation service at the medical center's Hospital Hill campus

--University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey/University Hospital - Newark, NJ

$300,000 to develop a model of fully integrated comprehensive end-of-life care in an inner-city medical center

--Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester and Monroe County, in collaboration with the University of Rochester Medical Center - Rochester, NY

$150,000 to develop and implement a home-based palliative care program for patients with advanced cancer and congestive heart failure