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Aetna
Wins Award for Targeting Racial and Ethnic Disparities
in Health Care
 On November 1, 2004 the New York Health Plan Association
(HPA) announced the winners of the 2004 Health Plan Achievement
Awards.
Aetna received first place in the community leadership
category for its Racial & Ethnic Disparities initiative,
which uses data collection to foster better understanding
of disparities among racial and ethnic groups to target
education, outreach and quality improvement efforts,
and to support community-based initiatives. The awards,
developed in 2003, give recognition to the outstanding
initiatives of HPA member health plans to improve the
health and well being of their members and communities.
Aetna promotes this initiative internally, with its
own employees, as well as externally through targeted
programs for members where there is evidence of disparities
among a specific population. Additionally, there is
support through partnerships and funding through the
Aetna Foundation in support of local community initiatives.
In 2001 Aetna began to collect race and ethnicity data
as one piece of an expansive program of research, education,
data collection and supporting initiatives designed
to achieve a better understanding of disparities among
racial and ethnic groups. This understanding is the
foundation for Aetna's commitment to play a leading
role in the elimination of racial and ethnic disparities.
One example of use of data to benefit its members is
Aetna's Breast Health Initiative. This program identifies
African American and Hispanic/Latina women 40 and older
who have not obtained a screening mammogram, and once
identified, there is follow up with targeted telephonic
reach out by bilingual nurse case managers.
Aetna also focuses on communities through the Aetna
Foundation Regional Community Grants Program. In 2003
alone, The Aetna Foundation invested $2.5 million dollars,
86% for programs addressing the reduction of health
care disparities. Through this program Aetna has partnered
with The Children's Defense Fund, which in 2003 launched
a ground-breaking project aimed at narrowing disparities
in minority children. Aetna is also a founding sponsor
with the National Conference on Community Justice, of
the National Conversation on Race, Ethnicity and Culture.
Through its Foundation, Aetna has forged local partnerships
with grant dollars provided throughout the nation. In
Rochester, a few examples include a Child Advocacy Center
for abused children, the Finger Lakes Health System's
Agency Latino and African American Task Forces' work,
the Monroe County Health Department obesity reduction
initiatives, and Gilda's Club of Rochester for cancer
support services for a new program for women of color.
"All the plans are to be commended for their outstanding
efforts," said Paul F. Macielak president and CEO
of the New York Health Plan Association "The true
winners, however, are the health plan members and communities
across New York that reap the benefits of these programs."
Aetna is guided by its Task Force on Racial and Ethnic
Disparities, which is chaired by Chairman of the Board,
Dr. Jack Rowe and includes Aetna senior leadership.
An External Advisory Committee has also been developed
and includes such notable leaders from, for example,
the University of Rochester, Harvard Medical School
and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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