Amerigroup Foundation Honors Gladys Cohen as a 'Healthy Hero'

SAVANNAH, Ga., Sept. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amerigroup Foundation today announced that it is honoring Gladys Cohen of Savannah as a "Healthy Hero."

Cohen, a children's health training consultant and former director of the Economic Opportunity Authority/Head Start Savannah, dedicates her time to teaching the value of preventive health care. Spending more than 50 percent of her time out in the community, she focuses her efforts on nutrition education and lead screening for children across the state of Georgia.

"Gladys Cohen demonstrates a lifelong commitment to helping educate children and other individuals who might not be getting the message of preventive health care," said John E. Littel, chairman of the Amerigroup Foundation. "Her ability to reach communities that typically may be less informed is vital to the health care safety net. The Amerigroup Foundation is pleased to recognize and actively support her continuing efforts."

Cohen promotes diets filled with vegetables, and she teaches the benefits of replacing unhealthy snacks with healthy alternatives. In addition to low-fat, low-sugar diets, Cohen believes in spreading the good news about the benefits of healthy living into all parts of the community, including churches.

"We're pulling in the churches because they take care of the spiritual, and we can help them take care of the physical body. With parents working, we need to reach that 60- or 70-year-old grandmother who is helping to raise these children because they might not know about lead screening or the problems with other health issues. In Georgia, we have more than 12,000 children who have not had a lead screening. So we need to make everyone aware, from the churches to the parks," Cohen said.

To honor Cohen's service, the Amerigroup Foundation presented a $1,000 contribution to the Harambee House at a ceremony Wednesday morning at First African Baptist Church in Savannah. Cohen is the co-chair of the advisory committee for the Harambee House, which works to create and sustain safe neighborhoods that promote healthy living and wellness.

The Amerigroup Foundation periodically honors "Healthy Heroes" who have made a difference in the communities served by its corporate underwriter, Amerigroup Corporation, which administers publicly funded health care programs such as Medicaid and Medicare for state and federal governments. Amerigroup Community Care of Georgia offers health care services to 259,000 people enrolled in Medicaid in Georgia.

About the Amerigroup Foundation

The Amerigroup Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Amerigroup Corporation, a multi-state managed health care company based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Foundation works to create healthy communities by fostering access to health care, encouraging safe and healthy children and families, and promoting community improvement and healthy neighborhoods. For more information about the Amerigroup Foundation, visit www.amerigroupcorp.com/foundation.

SOURCE Amerigroup