Texas NAACP Names PacifiCare's African American Health Solutions Outstanding Community Partner

* PacifiCare honored at NAACP president's luncheon



CYPRESS, Calif., Oct. 21  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) named PacifiCare's African American Health Solutions an Outstanding Community Partner at the Texas State NAACP 69th Annual Convention in Dallas last week.

The Texas State NAACP Branch recognized PacifiCare's African American Health Solutions for its commitment to provide health screenings and disseminate blood-pressure monitors for all of the 250 NAACP branches throughout Texas.  PacifiCare's African American Health Solutions also served as the title sponsor for the event's Health Fair and hypertension workshop with special guest presenter, Dr. Robert Lonian, M.D., of Medical Edge Healthcare Group.

"PacifiCare's African American Health Solutions is proud to partner with the NAACP to improve health care access and services for African Americans in Texas," said Corliss Hill, manager of Business Development, PacifiCare's African American Health Solutions.  "Because African Americans' most pressing health care needs are unique, we believe it is vital to join forces with organizations that understand and are sensitive to the communities they touch. The NAACP provides a lifeline with which we believe PacifiCare can make a special connection to African Americans statewide."

According to Hill, PacifiCare will continue offering health screenings (bioelectrical impedance analysis) for many of the 250 NAACP Texas offices.

"The Texas State NAACP's Health Committee has been leading the effort to inform and educate the community about health care costs, quality and access, and disease prevention," said Carol Moore, Texas State NAACP health chair. "Inequalities in health reflect some of the greatest challenges for African Americans as well as a lack of access to quality care and affordable coverage. In fact, diabetes and heart disease claim more lives of African-Americans than the general population."

A recent study from the American Heart Association showed that most African-American women are not aware that they face a higher risk of death from heart disease than any other racial or ethnic group.  The rate of heart disease among African-American women is 72 percent higher than for Caucasian women, according to the National Center of Health Statistics.

Risk factors for heart disease include increased age, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, diabetes, a family history of heart disease and a previous heart attack or stroke.  Obesity in particular is an important indicator, as the American Heart Association reports that nearly 50 percent of African-American struggle with obesity.  In addition, a recent study from Johns Hopkins University found that people with diabetes who have elevated blood-sugar levels are at a higher risk for heart disease.  African Americans are also twice as likely as Caucasians to have type 2 diabetes.

PacifiCare's African American Health Solutions has also joined with The American Heart Association to develop a behavior-modification program and educational brochure titled "The Heart of Diabetes," created to provide the community with help understanding and managing diabetes.

"PacifiCare's African American Health Solutions' support and long-term commitment we believe will make a positive impact in the health and well-being of African Americans statewide," Moore added.

About the NAACP

The NAACP is the United States' oldest and largest civil rights organization, dedicated for 96 years to achieving equality for African Americans and fighting racial discrimination against anyone.  Its half-million members in 2,200 local units scattered throughout the 50 states, Europe and the Pacific are the front-line grass roots troops for racial justice in their communities.  Visit the NAACP Texas State Branch at http://www.texasnaacp.org/.

About PacifiCare's African American Health Solutions

PacifiCare's African American Health Solutions strives to improve the quality of life for African-American families and to eliminate the disparity in health care coverage by providing access to quality services and programs that meet the community's needs.  African American Health Solutions' outreach efforts focus on strategies for health improvement with award-winning disease management programs and time-tested educational and media campaigns.  More information on PacifiCare's African American Health Solutions is available at http://www.pacificare.com/aahs.

About PacifiCare

PacifiCare Health Systems (NYSE:PHS) is one of the nation's largest consumer health organizations with nearly 3.2 million health plan members and approximately 11.3 million specialty plan members nationwide.  PacifiCare offers individuals, employers and Medicare beneficiaries a variety of consumer-driven health care and life insurance products.  Specialty plan operations include behavioral health, dental and vision, and complete pharmacy benefit management through its wholly owned subsidiary, Prescription Solutions.  More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at ww.pacificare.com. 

DATASOURCE: PacifiCare Health Systems



CONTACT:  Dan Miller of PacifiCare Health Systems, [phone],

, or Corliss Hill of PacifiCare's African American Health

Solutions, [phone], ; or Carol Moore, Health Chair

of NAACP Texas Branch, [phone]



Web site:  http://www.texasnaacp.org/ 

Web site:  http://www.pacificare.com/aahs 

Web site:  http://www.pacificare.com/ 

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