Aetna Releases 2005 African American History Calendar; Calendar highli

    Business Editors

    HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 11, 2005--Aetna (NYSE: AET) today released the 24th edition of its African American History Calendar, which recognizes the work of African American pharmacists in health care. The calendar has become an important educational tool that is utilized by many schools across the country in demonstrating the contributions of African Americans. Proceeds from the sale of the 2005 calendar will benefit the National Pharmaceutical Association Foundation, which funds scholarships for members of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association.
    "Over the past 24 years, Aetna has been proud to produce a calendar that recognizes the many important and lasting contributions that African Americans have made to our society," said John W. Rowe, M.D., Aetna chairman and CEO. "We are particularly pleased that our 2005 calendar highlights the important service to health care in America made by African American pharmacists."
    The 2005 African American History Calendar recognizes the following individuals:

    January

    Henry Lewis III, Pharm.D., professor and director for the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Florida A & M University (FAMU) and Marisa A. Lewis, Pharm.D., M.P.H, executive director of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association and an associate professor at FAMU.

    February

    James Colbert, Pharm.D., U.S. Army officer and active in pediatric care associations.

    March

    Sybil Richard, R.Ph., M.H.A., Esq., Florida's Bureau Chief of Medicaid Pharmacy Services.

    April

    Sylester Flowers, R.Ph., operates a single state-of-the-art facility serving an ethnically diverse low-income community in California.

    May

    Marvene Augustus, Pharm.D., R.Ph., pharmacy manager, instructor and adjunct professor at Louisiana State University's School of Veterinary Medicine.

    June

    Charles A. Champion, D.Ph., registered pharmacist and expert herbalist at Champion Pharmacy and Herb Store in Memphis, Tennessee.

    July

    Lieutenant Colonel Jasper W. Watkins III, M.S.A., R.Ph., N.P., B.C.N.P., officer in United States Army for 22 years and re-established the Nuclear Pharmacy Residency Program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.

    August

    Miriam A. Mobley Smith, Pharm.D., clinical assistant professor and coordinator of Academic Programs in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy.

    September

    Ene I. Ette, Ph.D., F.C.P., F.C.C.P., head of clinical pharmacology at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    October

    Lenore T. Coleman, Pharm.D., C.D.E., F.A.S.H.P, co-owner of Total Diabetes Care and Medical Supplies, an ADA-certified education center.

    November

    DZ Washington, Pharm.D., M.B.A., works at Priority Healthcare, a biologics pharmacy that distributes protein-based therapies used to treat conditions such as hepatitis, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

    December

    Arcelia M. Johnson-Fannin, Pharm.D., R.Ph., only female to have started two schools of pharmacy, one at University of Incarnate Word and one at Hampton University.

    Historian

    Ira C. Robinson, Ph.D., R.Ph, former Dean and Professor of Pharmacy, Florida A & M University College of Pharmacy and Howard University College of Pharmacy.

    The calendar will be available in electronic form on Aetna's diversity web site, www.aetna.com/diversity/aahcalendar/2005/index.html. It may also be ordered for $4.00 by making a check payable to Aetna and sending the request to: Aetna Calendar, Corporate Communications, 151 Farmington Avenue, RWAB, Hartford, CT 06156.

    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 13.6 million medical members, 11.6 million dental members, 8.3 million pharmacy members and 13.3 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 646,000 health care professionals, including over 385,000 primary care and specialist doctors and 3,908 hospitals. For more information, please visit www.aetna.com. (Figures as of September 30, 2004)

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CONTACT: Aetna John Cattelan, 860-273-1248 CattelanJL@aetna.com

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