Cigna Medical Group Director wins CDC award-several Centers recognized

<0> Medical Group leads Arizona in making sure toddlers and teens are immunized against disease </0>

Cigna Medical Group Director wins CDC award-several Centers recognized

CignaRainey Daye Holloway, 602-321-0235

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recognized Cigna Medical Group’s Dr. Andrea Houfek with the CDC Childhood Immunization Champion Award. This is an annual award that honors individuals who make a significant contribution toward improving public health through their work in childhood immunization. Each year, one CDC Immunization Champion from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia receives the prestigious award.

Houfek, who is Cigna Medical Group’s Medical Director of Urgent Care Services and Pediatrics, received the honor at The Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI) annual Dr. Daniel T. Cloud Outstanding Practice Awards, held in conjunction with Infant Immunization Week, April 20 to 27.

"The best way to guarantee a long and healthy life is to ensure children receive the appropriate preventive care right from the start. Immunizations are vital to pediatric and long-term health and one of the best ways to protect individuals, families and communities against disease,” said Dr. Houfek. “It is an honor to be recognized and for our centers to receive recognition once again for their diligent efforts to immunize toddlers and teens.”

Several Cigna Medical Group health centers were also recognized during the ceremony for leadership and excellence in immunizing Arizona children - reaching 90 percent coverage levels in the toddler and teen categories.

The Chandler, Deer Valley, South Mountain, and Stapley health care centers were recognized in the toddler category.

Paradise Valley, Scottsdale and Tempe health care centers were recognized in the teen category.

This is the 10 year that Cigna Medical Group has been recognized for outstanding achievements in immunizing children and teenagers.

Media interested in interviewing physicians regarding the importance of immunizations, the myths and the facts, please contact Rainey Daye Holloway to set up interviews.

TAPI is a non-profit statewide coalition of over 400 members. TAPI was formed in response to the alarming fact that in 1993, only 43% of Arizona's two-year-olds were fully immunized against preventable childhood diseases like measles, mumps, polio and whooping cough. Through the efforts of TAPI's partners from both the public and private sectors, immunization coverage rates in Arizona have improved dramatically, with nearly three in four children fully immunized by age two. Unfortunately, the problem never ends. Each year in Arizona almost 90,000 babies are born, and none arrive immunized.

For more information, visit .

Cigna Medical Group is the group practice division of Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc. and one of the Valley's largest multi-specialty group practices with 23 health care centers and two convenience care clinics located throughout metropolitan Phoenix. Each health care center is equipped with several medical services under one roof, so additional diagnostic needs such as lab work, imaging—even prescriptions—can be quickly obtained. To learn more about Cigna Medical Group, including a virtual tour and to follow us on Twitter, visit .