Partnership for Peak Healthcare Performance Receives Grant from Aetna Foundation to Improve Area Dia...( Grant will fund consumer educatio...),Health

Grant will fund consumer education to increase understanding of diabetes risk factors and improve selection of quality physicians

DALLAS, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dallas-Fort Worth Business Group on Health (DFWBGH) today announced that it has received a $50,000 grant from the Aetna Foundation to improve diabetes care at a community level through a collaborative effort of DFW area employers, physicians, health plans and consumers, called the Partnership for Peak Healthcare Performance. The goal of the Partnership is to improve the quality of care for prevalent chronic illnesses, support the physician-patient relationship in the care management process, and empower consumers to make informed decisions about their health care. The grant will be used to educate and engage employee-consumers of DFWBGH member companies to improve their understanding of diabetes risk factors and appropriate diabetes care and to use physician quality information to access the best diabetes care when needed.

"Consumer engagement is one of the most important and challenging aspects of the Partnership project," said Marianne Fazen, executive director of the business group. "Consumers and patients must be motivated to take ownership of their health, understand their options and make informed decisions about when and where to go for health care services."

The Partnership for Peak Healthcare Performance involves approximately 80 percent of the nearly 4,100 primary care physicians in the DFW market and their patients through the provider networks of the five participating health plans -- Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare, and nearly 300,000 local employees of DFWBGH member companies and their family members.

"In keeping with Aetna's commitment to support the communities where our employees and constituents live and work, we are proud to support the Dallas-Fort Worth Business Group on Health," said Duane Cote, vice
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