Aflac and Texas Southern University’s Center for Biomedical and Minority Health Research (CBMHR) announced the awarding of a $200,000 Aflac CareGrant. The grant will help to advance health equity for diseases that disproportionately impact underrepresented communities and will be split between community support/education and health-related research.

Aflac selected Texas Southern University for its CBMHR, which oversees robust research and community-level initiatives that support underrepresented communities both locally and nationally.

Following a check presentation, Aflac's incoming president, Virgil Miller, and TSU President Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young also unveiled TSU’s Aflac Park Bench, a natural space of rest, reflection, peace and comfort for the Texas Southern University community. The bench, which is bright blue and designed with the famous Aflac duck mascot, is located at the start of the TSU fitness trail behind Durley Stadium.

"The impact of this partnership with Aflac is felt in the lives of our students and also in the life of our community," said Dr. Crumpton-Young. "It gives us an opportunity to focus on transforming the lives of our students and our faculty who will be engaged in the partnership activities. It allows us to tranform the lives of many individuals from the quality research we will conduct. We want to thank Aflac for coming to TSU to join us in the mission of transforming lives."

Aflac’s CareGrants program supports the company's commitment to supporting organizations that are helping close the gap for individuals and communities currently suffering from or highly exposed to medical debt. The program is informed by the Aflac Care Index, a nationwide study examining Americans’ awareness of and exposure to debt resulting from medical bills not covered by insurance. The Aflac Care Index identified 11 U.S. states that over-index for vulnerability to medical debt due to lack of savings; Texas was among the 11 states identified as having the most medical debt exposure.

"We are here today to honor and advance the work of TSU’s CBMHR, including its important research into diseases that disproportionately impact underrepresented populations and its critically important support of the local community," said Miller. "Providing support to organizations like TSU helps ensure people get the care they need, when they need it. This shows the common vision between Aflac and TSU - helping to close the medical gap that many Americans face, especially here in the local community."