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Society for Women’s Health Research Founder Florence Haseltine, MD is Cigna GO YOU® Award Nominee


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Charity gets $20,000, eligible for $50,000 GO YOU Award

• GO YOU Award recognizes individuals who make an impact on individual, community health
• Haseltine is one of four nominees



BLOOMFIELD, Conn. - Cigna (NYSE: CI) has named Florence Haseltine, MD, PhD, whose work with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) led to the formation of the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR), its fourth GO YOU Award nominee. The nomination comes with a Cigna Foundation grant of $20,000 for the charity. Haseltine is now eligible for the annual GO YOU Award and a $50,000 grant for SWHR.

The GO YOU Award honors the pioneering spirit of innovative individuals who create or build nonprofit organizations that contribute to personal, family and community health.

SWHR, based in Washington, D.C., broadly promotes the study and awareness of women’s health issues. The organization was founded in 1993 when Haseltine, who was working for the NIH, recognized that the institutes comprising the NIH were paying insufficient attention to medical differences between males and females. She formed SWHR with a team of friends and colleagues from medical and scientific organizations to bring attention to and address this disparity.

Since its creation, SWHR has influenced national policy regarding women’s health. Its ongoing educational programs, research, and advocacy continue to help close sex/gender-based gaps in health care that still exist today.

“From head to toe, there are tremendous differences that come with two X chromosomes. These sex differences need to be considered and adjusted for within our health care system,” Haseltine said. “The Cigna GO YOU Award nomination is not only a personal honor-- the grant will help us continue to fight to have these critical differences recognized and further studied, with the ultimate goal of improving health for women throughout the world.”

“Florence’s passion for expanding the healthy choices and care options available to women exemplifies our GO YOU spirit,” said David Cordani, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cigna, a global health service company, and member of the Cigna Foundation board of directors. “The impact of Florence’s idea and the work done daily by the SWHR has furthered medical science and enabled more appropriate care for women globally.”

The GO YOU Award is an extension of Cigna’s focus on encouraging people to be true to themselves and meeting their individual needs.

Four nominees are identified by a panel of Cigna Foundation officers and others within the company with expertise in the field of health-related philanthropy, based on recommendations from both internal and external experts. The panel considers both the personal story of the potential individual recipient and the effectiveness of their nonprofit organization.

Other finalists are Susan Hester, the founder of Mautner Project; Clarissa Black, founder of Pets for Vets; and Maria Borrero, founder of the Hispanic Health Council.

About Cigna and the Cigna Foundation

The Cigna Foundation is a private foundation funded by contributions from Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) and its subsidiaries. The Cigna Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to enhancing the health of individuals and families, and the well-being of their communities, with a special focus on those communities where Cigna employees live and work. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

About the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR):

A national non-profit organization, SWHR is the thought leader in research on biological differences in disease and is dedicated to transforming women’s health through science, advocacy, and education.



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