Aetna Teams up with Bishop Eddie Long to Spread the Word about Preventing and Managing Diabetes

More than 300 members of Bishop Eddie L. Long’s Atlanta congregation at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church participated in diabetes screenings, and another 120 attended information sessions sponsored this week by Aetna (NYSE: AET) at the church’s "Diabetes Day” following Sunday services.

Cynthia Follmer, president of Aetna’s Georgia market, presented Bishop Long with a $20,000 check from the Aetna Foundation, which has funded numerous initiatives in the Atlanta area that target diabetes and childhood obesity.

"I thank God for Aetna and their commitment to the community,” said Bishop Long, addressing more than 12,000 congregants. "Diabetes is a major threat to the health and well-being of our country, and the prevalence of this disease is even higher in the African-American community. We can take steps to reduce our risk – like eating healthier foods and exercising regularly – and today, New Birth has partnered with Aetna so we can begin to take authority over our health.”

Working with Aetna, volunteers from the American Diabetes Association conducted a written diabetes risk assessment and screened people for blood glucose levels and vision problems. Those who have been diagnosed with diabetes were able to attend education classes that focused on understanding and managing diabetes, including the importance of knowing your A1C levels. A second section of the class stressed the importance of healthy eating and exercise.

Volunteers from the Georgia State University School of Nutrition set up "healthy living” displays that provided information on proper food selection for diabetics, including carbohydrate counting.

All told, more than 2,000 people visited the various exhibits following church services.

"Aetna is proud to be involved in such a worthwhile effort,” said Follmer. "More than 9 percent of the people in Georgia have been diagnosed with diabetes, and it is a critical health challenge we’ve attempted to alleviate. In Atlanta, we’ve found that churches can provide a valuable, trusted conduit to the communities we’re trying to reach. Bishop Long is to be commended for bringing this important message to the attention of his congregation.”

About New Birth Missionary Baptist Church

The New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is located in Lithonia, Ga. and has a membership in excess of 25,000 members. The church has a variety of ministries, catering to children and youth, singles, seniors, couples and families.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2 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/2008annualreport.