VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Amerigroup Foundation presented the Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth (GPT) with a $50,000 grant to improve access to quality care in rural and underserved areas of Georgia through the use of telemedicine and state of the art technologies.

"GPT is so grateful that Amerigroup is making a difference in the rural areas of Georgia by providing individuals access to health care in areas where it is not available by traditional means," said Paula Guy, chief executive officer for the Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth. "The money will provide technology to rural locations giving them access to high quality, efficient health care that will allow patients to visit specialists by the telemedicine network without having to travel."

The Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth is working to ensure that all rural Georgians are able to access specialty care within 30 miles of their homes. Through its efforts, patients who had limited or no access to care a few years ago, now have access to over 175 specialists through leveraging technology in a high quality, efficient and cost effective manner.

"We are delighted to offer our continued support to the Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth," said Dr. Tunde Sotunde, chief executive officer for Amerigroup Community Care of Georgia. "GPT is an outstanding organization that is making great strides in providing access to quality care in rural populations. This grant will support GPT in its mission which will have a significant and meaningful impact in improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities throughout Georgia."

Amerigroup is committed to supporting health services for the uninsured and underinsured. In 2011, the Amerigroup Foundation invested nearly $750,000 in grants to improve health outcomes and access to quality care for underserved communities, including a $20,000 grant to the Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth.

About Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth
The Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth (GPT) works to improve the availability and provision of specialized health care services in rural and underserved parts of Georgia through the use of telemedicine, health information exchange and telehealth technologies. The program's goal is to enable all rural Georgians to access specialty care within 30 mile of their homes.

About the Amerigroup Foundation
The Amerigroup Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Amerigroup Corporation (NYSE: AGP),
a multistate managed health care company based in Virginia Beach, Va. 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. 


    MEDIA CONTACTS:
    Maureen C. McDonnell                    Crystal Cameron
    Amerigroup Corporation                  Amerigroup Corporation
    Vice President, External Communications Director, Media & Public Relations
    (757) 473-2731                          (757) 955-8832
    Maureen.McDonnell@amerigroup.com        Crystal.Cameron@amerigroup.com

SOURCE Amerigroup Foundation