Brigham Health Teams with Cigna to Challenge the Greater Boston Community to Take 300 Million Steps
Boston, MA—Brigham Health and Cigna are uniting Greater Boston in a community effort to show support for trauma survivors by taking 300 million steps together during the month of May, National Trauma Awareness Month. All Greater Boston citizens are invited to Step Up for Stepping Strong by joining the Brigham Health team and automatically tracking their daily steps on a free app. When the Greater Boston community reaches 300 million steps, Cigna will make a $100,000 donation to fuel trauma research and care at The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). Participation is free and easy with each step bringing awareness to the need to advance trauma care.
Audrey Epstein Reny, who together with her family, established The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at BWH to honor her daughter, Gillian, a survivor of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, notes, “Five years after the Boston Marathon bombings devastated our family, we remain steadfast in our efforts to turn tragedy into hope for survivors of traumatic injuries. The Step Up for Stepping Strong program is a meaningful way to engage the full Greater Boston community in our efforts as we reflect on the spirit of compassion and camaraderie that permeated our city following the attacks.”
“We are honored to return for a second year as the presenting sponsor of Step Up for Stepping Strong, which provides vital support to trauma survivors as they rebuild their lives and regain their peace of mind,” said Mark Butler, president of Cigna New England. “With its focus on community, fitness and service to others, the program truly exemplifies the concept of Boston Strong, and we are proud to be part of it.”
Participants can enroll in four easy steps when they visit BWHstepup.org, download the free app, enter their name and email, and join the Brigham Health team. The app will automatically track daily steps progress while providing health and wellness information from Brigham Health and Cigna. All participants are also eligible for weekly prize drawings for Fitbits and Dick’s Sporting Goods gift cards.
“At Brigham Health, we are committed to doing our part to encourage healthy lifestyles that build healthier communities,” says Betsy Nabel, MD, president of Brigham Health. “We are grateful to Cigna for teaming up with us once again to galvanize the Greater Boston community in an effort that promotes healthy lifestyles while also supporting research that will lead to new treatments for trauma survivors.”
Participants can sign up between April 1-30 at BWHstepup.org.
ABOUT BRIGHAM HEALTH
Brigham Health is composed of Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, and Brigham and Women’s Physicians Organization.
BWH is a 793-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare. BWH has more than 4.2 million annual patient visits and nearly 46,000 inpatient stays, is the largest birthing center in Massachusetts and employs nearly 16,000 people. The Brigham’s medical preeminence dates back to 1832, and today that rich history in clinical care is coupled with its national leadership in patient care, quality improvement and patient safety initiatives, and its dedication to research, innovation, community engagement and educating and training the next generation of health care professionals. Through investigation and discovery conducted at its Brigham Research Institute (BRI), BWH is an international leader in basic, clinical and translational research on human diseases, more than 3,000 researchers, including physician-investigators and renowned biomedical scientists and faculty supported by nearly $666 million in funding. For the last 25 years, BWH ranked second in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) among independent hospitals. BWH is also home to major landmark epidemiologic population studies, including the Nurses' and Physicians' Health Studies and the Women's Health Initiative as well as the TIMI Study Group, one of the premier cardiovascular clinical trials groups. For more information, resources and to follow us on social media, please visit BWH’s online newsroom at brighamandwomens.org/about-bwh/newsroom/overview.
ABOUT THE GILLIAN RENY STEPPING STRONG CENTER FOR TRAUMA INNOVATION
Established by survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings, The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital brings multidisciplinary experts together to fuel trauma research and care for civilian and military heroes who suffer from traumatic injuries. Through its Stepping Strong Innovator Awards, Stepping Strong Research Scholars program, and Stepping Strong Plastic Surgery Trauma Fellowship, the center takes a three-pronged approach to fueling leading-edge research and clinical programs in trauma healing and limb reconstruction. Learn more at BWHsteppingstrong.org.
ABOUT CIGNA
Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America, Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York, Express Scripts companies or their affiliates. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 160 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.
