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Anthem Foundation Continues Efforts to Build Stronger, Healthier Communities
[February 19, 2018]

Anthem Foundation Continues Efforts to Build Stronger, Healthier Communities


Anthem Foundation continues to empower the communities it serves by working to eliminate social, economic and environmental obstacles in order to help Americans across the country live healthier lives. The Foundation has dedicated more than $40 million to support innovative programs that will help create a healthier future for all by reducing disparities, helping people take control of their health, and addressing some of the nation's most pressing issues.

"From improving lives, to saving them, millions of people have been positively impacted by the collective efforts of Anthem Foundation and the nonprofit organizations we support," said Craig Samitt, chief clinical officer at Anthem, Inc. "We're inspired by the commitment of our nonprofit partners who share our vision and work tirelessly to provide programs that are engaging and dedicated to creating greater access to health care and resources to help people lead a healthier lifestyle."

The following illustrates the difference that Anthem Foundation is making in people's lives through its support in 2017:

  • The American Heart Association (AHA), continued the interactive Hands-Only CPR Mobile Tour, visiting seven states in six weeks and training approximately 13,000 individuals along the east coast. In 2017, the AHA installed four new Hands-Only CPR kiosks in airports in Ohio, California and Florida, bringing the total number of Foundation supported kiosks to eight. More than 56,000 people took advantage of the opportunity to learn the life-saving skill of Hands-Only CPR using the kiosks in 2017. Since the launch of the Foundation's collaboration with AHA six years ago, more than 6.5 million Americans have been trained in Hands-Only CPR, an effort that is helping AHA meet their goal to double cardiac arrest survival rates by 2020.
  • The American Lung Association worked to remove barriers for individuals who want to quit smoking by offering the Smoking Cessation for Low-Income Housing Residents program. This program provides smoking-cessation classes directly where people live and is on track to reach 4,500 residents in 14 states by the end of the year.
  • With the promise to help set the youngest generations on track for a healthy future, the Foundation's partnership with the March of Dies provided programs proven to reduce preterm birth to more than 3,900 women in 19 states. In 2017, approximately 2,000 women participated in one of the core group prenatal care programs, known as CenteringPregnancy. The pre-term birth rate amongst participants in this program was less than 7 percent compared to the US preterm birth rate of 9.8 percent.
  • The Foundation's support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Triple Play (News - Alert) program continued to combat childhood obesity and ignite a passion among youth to lead active, healthier lives. The 2017 Triple Play Day event held in Washington, DC celebrated the efforts of more than 25,000 kids and teens from 500 participating Boys & Girls Clubs across the country to reach a collective goal of five million minutes of Triple Play activity by focusing on a healthy mind, body and soul. Additionally, together with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Michael Phelps Foundation, the Foundation promoted the value of an active lifestyle through swimming as well as health and wellness education to encourage healthy habits for at-risk youth.
  • In addition to charitable grants made by the Foundation, many communities were positively impacted by the individual efforts of Anthem associates who donated money and volunteered their time. Associates across the country came together to lift those in need when hurricanes devastated communities last year. To help those impacted, associates raised more than $770,000 through Anthem's Giving Program. The Giving Program provides a Foundation match on associate gifts to a select list of charities. Associates also participated in the nationwide #GivingTuesday campaign and raised $410,000 to help 363 nonprofits in communities around the nation. In total, the year-round gifts totaled $4.5 million in 2017. In addition to donations, our associates gave their time through nearly 50,000 volunteer hours in 2017, including Anthem Volunteer Days, and the company's season of service.



Through the Foundation's financial contributions and the support of Anthem associates, Anthem Foundation continues to inspire individuals by investing in community programs to create healthier lifestyles and promote overall wellness.

For more information about how Anthem Foundation is working to improve communities across the country, please visit the Anthem Foundation website.


About The Anthem Foundation

The Anthem Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc. and through charitable contributions and programs, the Foundation promotes the inherent commitment of Anthem, Inc. to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Anthem, Inc. and its affiliated health plans serve. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These disease states and medical conditions include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company's year-round Associate Giving program, which provides a 50 percent match of associates' pledges, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars for Doers community service programs. To learn more about the Anthem Foundation, please visit http://www.anthem.foundation.


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