The American Academy of Family Physicians Launches Consumer Alliance with First Partner: The Coca-Cola Company
LEAWOOD, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The American Academy of Family Physicians today announced the Consumer Alliance, a new corporate partnership program, with its first alliance partner, The Coca-Cola Company.
The Consumer Alliance is a program that allows corporate partners like The Coca-Cola Company to work with the AAFP to educate consumers about the role their products can play in a healthy, active lifestyle. As part of this partnership, The Coca-Cola Company is providing a grant to the AAFP to develop consumer education content on beverages and sweeteners for FamilyDoctor.org, an award-winning consumer health and wellness resource.
"The AAFP recognizes the significant influence that consumer companies have on consumer health," said Lori Heim, M.D., president-elect of the AAFP. "We look forward to working with The Coca-Cola Company, and other companies in the future, on the development of educational materials to teach consumers how to make the right choices and incorporate the products they love into a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle."
"We are proud to be the first company to partner with the AAFP and feature content on FamilyDoctor.org," said Dr. Rhona Applebaum, vice president and chief scientific and regulatory officer at The Coca-Cola Company. "Our partnership will help provide Americans with credible information on beverages and enable consumers to make informed decisions about what they drink based on individual need."
FamilyDoctor.org was recently named one of "Five Great Health Sites" on a Newsweek.com blog, and one of the "'Top Ten' Most Useful Web Sites" by the Medical Library Association. The new beverage and sweetener content is expected to launch in January 2010. Visit familydoctor.org for more information.
While the AAFP does not endorse any specific brand, product or service, the AAFP Consumer Alliance will collaborate with companies that share the common goal of informing consumers, as well as medical professionals, about new advances in product science and best practices for good health.
About The American Academy of Family Physicians
Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents more than 94,600 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care.
Nearly one in four of all office visits are made to family physicians. That is 208 million office visits each year -- nearly 83 million more than the next largest medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America's underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty.
In the increasingly fragmented world of health care where many medical specialties limit their practice to a particular organ, disease, age or sex, family physicians are dedicated to treating the whole person across the full spectrum of ages. Family medicine's cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care.
To learn more about the AAFP and about the specialty of family medicine, please visit aafp.org. For more information about the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care and downloadable multi-media on family medicine and health care, visit the AAFP Media Center. For more information about health care, health conditions, and wellness, please visit familydoctor.org.
About the AAFP Consumer Alliance
In addition to health care providers, AAFP recognizes that consumer products companies have significant influence over consumer health. Therefore, the Consumer Alliance is a strategy whereby AAFP aims to partner with companies who demonstrate good corporate stewardship and a strategic focus on consumer health.
FamilyDoctor.org, AAFP's consumer health and wellness resource, is the fundamental core of the AAFP Consumer Alliance. Through partnerships in the Consumer Alliance, AAFP will continue to expand the reach and breadth of its offerings on FamilyDoctor.org by adding more tools, trackers, videos, and consumer-friendly education materials on important health and wellness topics.
In addition to content development on FamilyDoctor.org, AAFP will work with Consumer Alliance Partners to develop robust new programs and materials to educate consumers and medical professionals about making better choices with regard to food and beverage selections, physical activity, emotional well-being, and other ways to achieve a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
About FamilyDoctor.org
FamilyDoctor.org is an award-winning Web site that helps today's consumers stay informed and engaged in their own health care management. It is the only consumer health Web site owned and operated by a professional medical association, the American Academy of Family Physicians.
FamilyDoctor.org is geared toward patients of all ages and features guides for healthy living, prescription and over-the counter drug information, and interactive health tools that allow users to "search-by-symptom." The site also offers more than 400 consumer health videos.
Recommended to patients by AAFP member physicians and their health care teams, the site receives more than 3.5 million visits a month, with 100,000 unique visitors each day. More than 60 percent of Americans search for health information online. For reliable health information, they turn to FamilyDoctor.org.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with nearly 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, POWERADE, Minute Maid and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of nearly 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our Web site at thecoca-colacompany.com.
Source: The Coca-Cola Company and The American Academy of Family Physicians
Released October 6, 2009