The CEO Roundtable on Cancer recently accredited Harris Health System with the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™. The Gold Standard recognizes Harris Health System’s efforts to reduce the risk of cancer for their employees and covered family members by promoting healthy lifestyle choices, encouraging early detection through cancer screenings, and ensuring access to quality treatment.
Christopher A. Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi, chairs the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, the nonprofit organization of cancer-fighting CEOs who created the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, many of its designated cancer centers, and leading health non-profit organizations and professionals. Today, more than 3 million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of the nearly 150 employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.
“Harris Health System is leading by example in promoting healthier behavior,” said Viehbacher. “I hope their vision and commitment to better health will encourage other employers in their community and across all industries and geographies to become Gold Standard accredited.”
The CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ calls for organizations to evaluate their health benefits and corporate 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; encouraging physical activity; promoting healthy diet and nutrition; detecting cancer at its earliest stages; and providing access to quality care, including participation in clinical trials.
In addition to Harris Health System, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fifteen NCI-designated cancer centers and nearly 30 other hospitals and medical centers have earned Gold Standard accreditation. The Harris Health System is a fully integrated healthcare system that cares for all residents of Harris County, TX, which encompasses the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area and is one of the largest metro areas in the U.S.
CEOs from across industries are keenly aware of the tremendous impact they can have in improving health, controlling health care costs and making a difference beyond their organization’s walls in the fight against cancer and other chronic diseases. Other Gold Standard employers include insurers like Aetna, Cigna, State Farm and several Blue Cross affiliates; law firms, such as Hogan Lovells and Jenner + Block; technology companies such as Dell and SAS Institute; institutes of higher education and a range of leading employers including American Century Investments, Johnson & Johnson and Lowe’s.