Today, three organizations, Duke Medicine, The University of North Dakota and Valeant Pharmaceuticals, were accredited with the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™, certifying their commitment to the health of their employees and their families by agreeing to meet an exceptionally high standard of cancer prevention, screening and care guidelines. In doing so, they join with thirteen other organizations that have answered former President George H.W. Bush’s call for business leaders to be “bold and venturesome” in their efforts in preventing cancer in the workplace and in their leadership in the overall fight against cancer.
William C. Weldon, chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson chairs the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, the nonprofit organization of cancer-fighting CEOs that created the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™, in collaboration with leading health professionals. “Adopting the Gold Standard is a tribute to the value these CEOs place on their employees and to the extraordinary leadership they provide their organizations and to all of those committed to winning the battle against cancer.”
The CEO Cancer Gold Standard™, calls for companies to evaluate their benefits and culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to fight cancer in the workplace. To earn Gold Standard accreditation, a company must establish programs to reduce cancer risk by discouraging tobacco use and encouraging physical activity, healthy diet and nutrition; detect cancer at its earliest stages; and provide access to quality care, including the availability of clinical trials.
Earlier this year, the President’s Cancer Panel report, “Promoting Healthy Lifestyles: Policy, Program, and Personal Recommendations for Reducing Cancer Risk,” identified the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ as an initiative that is helping reverse negative, unhealthy lifestyle trends and creating hope in the fight against cancer for America’s workers and their families.
In addition to Duke Medicine, The University of North Dakota and Valeant Pharmaceuticals, thirteen other companies have received the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ accreditation from the CEO Roundtable on Cancer. They are: American Cancer Society (national headquarters), American Legacy Foundation, AstraZeneca, Edelman, Enzon Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline, Jenner & Block, Johnson & Johnson, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Novartis, OSI Pharmaceuticals, Quintiles Transnational and SAS Institute.
To read the President’s Cancer Panel report, please go to: http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/pcp07rpt/pcp07rpt.pdf