The GHC and Aetna celebrate Health Literacy Month

-- Physician Forum on Health Literacy and Health Disparities
Planned --
HARTFORD, Conn.--(Business Wire)--
Physicians, care providers and other stakeholders in quality
health care delivery from across Connecticut are urged to attend an
important conference this fall to learn more about the impact poor
health literacy and racial and ethnic disparities in health care can
have on patients, treating physicians and other care providers.

Jointly presented in conjunction with National Health Literacy
Month by the Greater Hartford Coalition (GHC) for Quality Healthcare
and Aetna (NYSE: AET), the "Health Forum on Health Literacy and Racial
Disparities" will be held on Thursday, October 23, 2008, at the
Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

An exceptional panel of speakers has been convened for this forum.
Stakeholders will learn strategies to identify and better manage
patients with health literacy issues, understand activities occurring
at the federal level to eradicate gaps in health literacy and
disparities in health care, and also better understand physician
liability in cases where health literacy or disparities in health care
are an issue.

In addition to Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez and Scott A. Wolf, DO,
MPH, Aetna medical director, Patient Management, Northeast Region,
speakers include:

-- Admiral Joxel Garcia, USPHS, MD, MBA, Assistant Secretary for
Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, on
"Health Literacy at the State and Federal Levels;"

-- Ruth Parker, MD, Chair of the American Medical Association
Foundation Steering Committee for the national program on
health literacy, on "Health Literacy: Can We Confuse Patients
Less?"

-- Elizabeth Neuwirth, MS, JD, Murtha Cullina, LLP, Stamford,
Conn., on "Health Literacy Litigation;" and

-- Mache Seibel, MD, HealthRock(R), on "The Use of Music to
Promote Health Literacy."

According to the Census Bureau, 12.4 percent of the U.S.
population comprises people who were born in another country and 52
million people speak a language other than English at home. The 2008
Health Forum will highlight how these factors impact the delivery of
quality health care.

2nd Annual Medical Management Conference will take place from 5:00
p.m. - 9:00 p.m., and will include a cocktail reception and buffet
dinner. The fee to attend (waived for GHC members) is $59.00, and
attendees may register on line at www.greaterhartfordcoalition.com.
Those interested in sponsorship opportunities should contact Rose
Stamilio at (860) 714-6162 or at rstamili@stfranciscare.org.

About the Greater Hartford Coalition for Quality Healthcare

The Greater Hartford Coalition for Quality Healthcare, Inc.
includes the Saint Francis Physician Hospital Organization, Hartford
Physician Hospital Organization, The Hospital of Central Connecticut
at New Britain General & Bradley Memorial Hospital and Qualidigm, the
Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Connecticut. Their
mission is to establish regional, evidence-based approaches to provide
quality measures and improve patient care, and education and health
outcomes for the Greater Hartford Community.

www.greaterhartfordcoalition.com

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care
benefits companies, serving approximately 37.3 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. www.aetna.com

GHC Media Contact:
Rose Stamilio, RN, 860-714-6182
RStamili@saintfranciscare.org
or
Aetna Media Contact:
Susan Millerick, 860-273-0536
MillerickS@aetna.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008