NEWS RELEASE
Tuesday, June 21, 2011



WALGREENS, EBONY ENCOURAGE AMERICANS TO "BE GREATER THAN AIDS"
Free HIV Testing, Targeted HIV/AIDS Resources at Walgreens Stores in
Heavily Affected Areas
CONTACTS


KFF, Rakesh Singh, (650) 854-9400
Walgreens, Vivika Vergara, (847) 315-2923
EBONY, Alex Rosenfield, (917) 363-6571


Walgreens is teaming up with Greater Than AIDS, a national campaign in
response to HIV/AIDS in the United States, to distribute informational
resources and specialized HIV-related services at more than 300
Walgreens pharmacies in heavily affected communities. At these
specialized pharmacy locations, Walgreens has pharmacists on hand to
offer one-on-one medication counseling and other support services that
provide customers living with HIV/AIDS -- and their families -- with
compassionate, confidential care. Free rapid oral HIV testing will
also be available at select Walgreens locations from June 22 to 24,
2011, with technical support and guidance from the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and test kits from OraSure
Technologies. State and local health departments and community-based
organizations in the local markets are conducting the tests and
providing pre- and post-test counseling.
According to the CDC, more than one million Americans are living with
HIV today, yet 1 in 5 of those infected don’t know their status. And,
one-third are diagnosed so late in the course of their infection that
they develop AIDS within one year. The CDC encourages all Americans to
get tested.
"Despite overwhelming evidence that early diagnosis and treatment play
an important role both in the health of those who are positive and in
reducing the spread of HIV, many Americans at highest risk for
infection still have not been tested," said Tina Hoff, Senior Vice
President and Director of Health Communication and Media Partnerships
at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a co-founding partner of Greater Than
AIDS. "The commitment by Walgreens to bring HIV information and
testing into the pharmacy setting helps to reduce the stigma
associated with HIV and make testing more accessible for those who may
not have access to traditional healthcare settings."
"Access to testing, education and care are critical when it comes to
the treatment and prevention of this complex condition," said
Walgreens Manager of Specialized Disease State Programs Glen
Pietrandoni. "This month marks 30 years since the first case of AIDS
and ever since, Walgreens has been a trusted resource. As a pharmacy
focused on meeting our customers’ health and daily living needs,
Walgreens is committed to providing services and support in
communities highly impacted by HIV."
Additionally, EBONY, a publication of Johnson Publishing Company,
Inc., has partnered with Greater Than AIDS and Walgreens to produce a
special Be Greater Than AIDS informational guide to be distributed in
1.6 million copies of the July issue of the magazine, reaching an
estimated 11 million readers. One million additional copies of the
guide, which includes information about HIV testing and tips for
talking with partners and health care providers, will be distributed
free in select Walgreens stores and by AIDS service organizations and
other community groups. EBONY also supports Greater Than AIDS with
ongoing PSA placements and special editorial content on HIV/AIDS.
"We are determined to increase awareness and reduce the spread of HIV
in the black community," said Amy DuBois Barnett, Editor-in-Chief,
EBONY magazine. "As the magazine with the furthest reach in black
America, we at EBONY believe it is our responsibility to address the
fact that more than half of the approximately 1.1 million people
living with HIV in the United States today are black Americans by
empowering our community with the information and tools necessary to
protect their health. We hope the ‘Being Greater than AIDS’ guide will
help to achieve that goal."
"We have the tools to end the AIDS epidemic as we know it. We know how
to diagnose those who are infected, identify the communities most
heavily affected, prevent transmission, and prevent acquisition of the
virus. Dramatically expanding HIV testing and linkages to care is a
critical step toward that end," said Phill Wilson, President and CEO
of the Black AIDS Institute, a co-founding partner of Greater Than
AIDS. "The Black AIDS Institute is proud to partner with Walgreens,
Johnson Publishing Company, and the Kaiser Family Foundation to raise
awareness and expand access to HIV testing in our communities."
A new national survey released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation
indicates Americans, and especially black Americans who are among
those at highest risk for HIV, want to know more about HIV testing,
including who should get tested (42% overall, 63% black Americans) and
where to go to get tested (38% overall, 58% black Americans).
The Walgreens/Greater Than AIDS partnership includes:
•     WALGREENS "TAKE ACTION" CAMPAIGN: Starting this month, more than 300
specialized Walgreens locations in highly impacted neighborhoods will
place co-branded Greater Than AIDS signage and other informational
products to open up the dialogue about HIV/AIDS and encourage
customers to get tested. In addition to the in-store messages and
materials, Walgreens has placed targeted ads featuring a Greater Than
AIDS message in OUT, The Advocate, MetroSource, and LOGO TV.
•     FREE HIV TESTING: In the lead-up to National HIV Testing Day (June
27), select Walgreens locations in major markets will offer free
testing as part of the partnership with Greater Than AIDS and in
coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
(CDC), OraSure Technologies, the National Association of People with
AIDS (NAPWA), state and local health departments, and AIDS service
organizations. Testing events will take place Wednesday, June 22 to
Friday, June 24 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. local time inside select
Walgreens retail locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Ft.
Lauderdale, Miami, New Orleans, Oakland and San Francisco. For a
complete list of participating stores, visit:
www.greaterthan.org/walgreens.
•     EXPANDED ONLINE CONTENT: Together with Greater Than AIDS, Walgreens
has expanded its online informational content related to HIV and AIDS.
The expanded site (www.greaterthan.org/walgreens) also offers a
testing center locator, tools and resources for community groups to
get involved in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and other content
for people who are seeking basic information about the disease.
About Greater Than AIDS
Greater Than AIDS is a collaboration among a broad coalition of public
and private sector partners united in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis
in the United States, in particular among Black Americans and other
disproportionately affected groups. Through a national media campaign
and targeted community outreach, Greater Than AIDS aims to increase
knowledge and understanding about HIV/AIDS and confront the stigma
surrounding the disease. www.greaterthan.org
The Kaiser Family Foundation -- a non-profit private operating
foundation dedicated to producing and communicating the best possible
information, research and analysis on health issues -- provides
strategic direction and day-to-day management, as well as oversees the
production of the media campaign. The Black AIDS Institute -- a think
tank exclusively focused on AIDS in Black America -- provides
leadership and expert guidance and directs community engagement.
Greater Than AIDS is developed in support of Act Against AIDS, an
effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to
refocus attention on the domestic epidemic. Additional, financial and
substantive support is provided by the Elton John AIDS Foundation,
Ford Foundation and MAC AIDS Fund, among others.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain
with fiscal 2010 sales of $67 billion. The company operates 7,714
drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most
convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and
trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and
advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy
services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and
mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve
health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers,
managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers
and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens
subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of
worksite health centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with
more than 700 locations throughout the country.
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94025 (650) 854-9400
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