Successful Asthma Education Program Kicks Off Fourth Year

More than 500 Children and Parents Educated on Asthma During Asthma Awareness Month

May 16, 2006
Philadelphia, PA - More than 500 children and their parents recently participated in the Healthy Hoops Kick Off, an asthma education program that targets children with asthma and weight management problems from Philadelphia and Chester. This year's Kick Off event, held at St. Joseph's University Field House, was sponsored by Keystone Mercy Health Plan and the Healthy Hoops Coalition, including AstraZeneca, STEPS to a Healthier Philadelphia and Crozer-Keystone Health System.

The Kick Off included health assessments, hands-on asthma and obesity education and training from area health care professionals; basketball skill building sessions for the children from local coaches Sonny Hill, Speedy Morris and Brian Daly; and entertainment for the whole family, including a rap concert focused on asthma and the West Philadelphia Conestoga Angels drill team. In addition to asthma management, this year's program is also targeting childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease.

The 2006 Healthy Hoops Program will include a series of asthma and obesity health screenings and health assessments, health education programs and a fall basketball clinic for the Healthy Hoops participants. Children who participate in the program are required to attend the health assessments to be properly diagnosed and treated for their asthma, and also must attend education sessions on weight management and the importance of cardiovascular activities to promote a healthy lifestyle.

"We love the Healthy Hoops Program and come back every year," said Valarie Burton, mother of an asthmatic Healthy Hoops child from Philadelphia, who has been with the program for three years. "Omar now knows his pressure points and what triggers his asthma, and he can take control of his asthma, which helps him play sports."

Developed by Keystone Mercy and the Healthy Hoops Coalition, Healthy Hoops is an innovative community-based program designed to teach children with asthma and their families how to properly take their medication and manage their asthma, the most common chronic illness among children in the United States. According to the 2002 Household Health Survey, 10 percent of children under the age of 18 in Southeast Pennsylvania have asthma, representing nearly 105,000 children in the region.

The program uses basketball activities to teach the importance of regular exercise and nutrition in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The program was launched in 2003 with families from West Philadelphia and, due to the tremendous results, expanded in 2004 to include families from North Philadelphia and Chester, PA in 2005. Healthy Hoops has expanded nationally to Keystone Mercy's sister company, Select Health of South Carolina, Inc., and is currently expanding to other markets, including Washington D.C. To date, over 1,300 local children with asthma, their parents and siblings have participated in the Healthy Hoops Program.

Please visit our Healthy Hoops Program for additional information.

For more information and tips on managing your child's asthma, please go to www.breatheinfo.com.

About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $23.95 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infection products. In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $10.77 billion healthcare business with more than 12,000 employees. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index. Please visit AstraZeneca for more information.

About Keystone Mercy Health Plan
Keystone Mercy Health Plan, a healthcare ministry of the Sisters of Mercy in affiliation with Keystone First, Inc., is the largest Medical Assistance managed care organization in Pennsylvania, serving more than 273,000 Medical Assistance recipients. Keystone Mercy's mission is to provide accessible, quality health care services to its members, with a special concern for the poor and disadvantaged. Please visit Keystone Mercy Health Plan for more information.