The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is leading by example when it comes to promoting workplace wellness and encouraging healthier behavior. The CEO Roundtable on Cancer recently accredited UT Southwestern with the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ recognizing their 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 more than 130 employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.
“We are pleased to recognize the efforts of Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky and his team,” said Viehbacher. “Health care leaders see firsthand the benefit that improved workplace health and wellness can have in cancer prevention and improved overall health. I hope UT Southwestern’s commitment will encourage other employers across all industries and geographies to become Gold Standard accredited.”
“It’s an honor for our team to be recognized by the CEO Roundtable on Cancer for the emphasis we place on our employee’s health and well-being in the fight against cancer,” said Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, President of UT Southwestern Medical Center. “We believe that the need for a healthy and engaged workforce is inherent to our ability to deliver on our mission. We are committed to providing a workplace environment that respects and supports all who work on the campus. As an academic medical center with an NCI-designated Cancer Center, UT Southwestern is focused on delivering outstanding clinical care, groundbreaking biomedical research, and exceptional education and training to our students and residents.”
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.
UT Southwestern joins MD Anderson as the second University of Texas system medical center to become CEO Cancer Gold Standard accredited. In addition to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fourteen NCI-designated cancer centers and nearly 30 other hospitals and medical centers have earned Gold Standard accreditation. 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.