WellCare Donates $50,000 To Children's Healthcare of Atlanta To Support Healthy Pregnancies and Reduce Childhood Obesity in Georgia |
ATLANTA and TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 17, 2014) - WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) has donated $50,000 to the charitable foundation of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (Children's), one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country, to help fund an initiative that advances education in support of healthy pregnancies in Georgia. The donation will support the Strong4Life Healthy Pregnancy Program, which will train OB/GYNs and certified nurse midwives to provide proven strategies to their patients on how to improve nutrition, increase physical activity and promote healthy weight management during pregnancy. The health care provider training program focuses on building motivational interviewing skills, and offers specific assessment and educational tools. It will be used to recruit and train new health care providers and reach pregnant mothers across the state. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy can cause serious health risks for both mothers and babies, and has been shown to increase the likelihood of childhood obesity. Nearly 1 million children in Georgia are overweight or obese, and as a result face health conditions that include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver disease, sleep apnea and joint pain. "Over the last three years, Children's has trained more than 2,500 Georgia providers on how to initiate conversations about body mass measurement, nutrition and physical activity behaviors with patients and families. Now we are targeting the earliest form of prevention, which research shows occurs during pregnancy," said Trisha Hardy, director, child wellness, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. "Thanks to the funding from WellCare, we will now be able to extend our reach to include women's health providers and give them the tools to better counsel pregnant women and ultimately empower moms-to-be to adopt healthy habits." "When you invest in and empower moms, you impact the health and quality of life of the entire family," said Roman Kulich, WellCare's region president, Georgia and South Carolina. "We are committed to supporting organizations like Children's that address complex health issues with proven methods that can help to improve lives and reduce the long-term costs of health care." For more information, please visit Strong4Life.com, a website created by Children's doctors, nutritionists and wellness experts for busy parents to get tips on fun, easy ways to help kids eat, move and live healthier. As of June 30, 2014, WellCare serves approximately 617,000 Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids® plan members, 29,000 Medicare Advantage plan members and 53,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members in Georgia.
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