CARY, N.C. The CEO Roundtable on Cancer has accredited St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, N.Y. with the CEO Cancer Gold StandardTM recognizing its efforts to reduce the risk of cancer for its employees and covered family members.
This nonprofit organization of CEOs, founded by former President George H.W. Bush, created the Gold Standard in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), many of its designated cancer centers, and other leading health organizations. The Gold Standard requires employers to evaluate their health benefits and corporate culture, and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to reduce the risk of cancer in the workplace.
“Our CEO Cancer Gold Standard certification further demonstrates that St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center is a unique organization committed to improving individuals’ lives and that that commitment begins with improving the health of the company’s employees and their family members,” said Christopher A. Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi and chairman of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.
To earn Gold Standard accreditation, an employer must establish programs to reduce cancer risk by prohibiting tobacco use and supporting tobacco cessation efforts, further encouraging prevention by promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition and weight management; detecting cancer at its earliest stages; and providing access to quality care, including participation in clinical trials. Today, over four and a half million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of 170 employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited employers.
“Staying healthy means not only eating right, but also exercising, managing stress and more,” said Kathryn H. Ruscitto, president and chief executive officer for St. Joseph’s. “We have a comprehensive employee wellness program in place that allows our employees to focus their efforts on what will best meet their needs, whether it be creating a walking route around campus or offering tobacco cessation services. Our culture of wellness extends beyond our staff to our patients, their families and our community.”
In addition to NCI and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 NCI-designated cancer centers and more than 60 other hospitals have earned Gold Standard accreditation. CEOs from many industries are keenly aware of the life-improving impact they can have on health and controlling healthcare costs when they address cancer and other chronic diseases. Gold Standard employers include: Avis Budget Group, Harvard School of Public Health, Lowe’s, Aetna, State Farm, Hogan Lovells, Dell, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, SAS and many Blue Cross affiliates.
St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center is a non-profit, 431-bed hospital and health care system in Syracuse, N.Y., providing services to patients from Onondaga and 15 surrounding counties. Through prevention programs and the latest diagnostic treatment procedures, St. Joseph’s with patients to achieve optimum long-term health. A 15-time winner of the National Research Corporation Consumer Choice award, St. Joseph’s is affiliated with Franciscan Companies and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis.
About The CEO Roundtable on Cancer
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer was founded in 2001, when former President George H.W. Bush challenged a group of executives to “do something bold and venturesome about cancer within your own corporate families.” The CEOs responded by creating and encouraging the widespread adoption of the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ which calls for organizations to evaluate their health benefits and workplace culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to address cancer in the workplace. For more information on the CEO Cancer Gold Standard and the free web-based accreditation process, please visit www.CancerGoldStandard.org.
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For more information:
CEO Roundtable on Cancer
Therese Martin, Project Assistant
P: 919-531-3123