CARY, NC (August 8, 2013) – Novartis International AG, a multinational healthcare company headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is the first company to earn global CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation. Their commitment to workplace wellness reaches across the globe to positively affect the lives of all their employees. The CEO Roundtable on Cancer recognizes Novartis for their efforts to reduce the risk of cancer for their employees and family members by promoting healthy lifestyle choices, encouraging early detection through cancer screenings, and ensuring access to quality treatment.
“Adopting the Gold Standard worldwide is a tribute to the extraordinary leadership of Novartis CEO, Joseph Jimenez, and to his determination to provide inspiration to organizations with an international workforce that are committed to playing an active role in winning the battle against cancer,” said Christopher A. Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi and chair of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a nonprofit organization of cancer-fighting CEOs, created the CEO Cancer Gold Standard in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, many of its designated cancer centers, and leading nonprofit, health organizations. The CEO Cancer Gold Standard calls for companies 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. From its beginnings in 2006 the Gold Standard was quickly embraced by CEOs whose corporations play a lead role in patient care, including AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson and Novartis, who were among the first organizations to become accredited in the United States.
Recognizing cancer knows no boundaries, Chairman Chris Viehbacher, took the bold step of implementing the global CEO Cancer Gold Standard which would increase the reach of the Gold Standard while preserving both its rigor and prestige. To be accredited as a global organization, employers must achieve and maintain CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation in the U.S., maintain a tobacco-free policy worldwide, and satisfy the essence and spirit of the five key areas of workplace wellness that are foundation of the Gold Standard.
Today, nearly four million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of over 150 employers who have chosen 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 the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fifteen NCI-designated cancer centers and over forty 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; and a range of leading employers including American Century Investments, Johnson & Johnson and Lowe’s.
About Novartis
Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools, over-the-counter and animal health products. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2012, the Group achieved net sales of USD 56.7 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.3 billion (USD 9.1 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 131,000 full-time-equivalent associates and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.
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 fight cancer in the workplace. For more information on the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ and the web-based accreditation process and support, please visit www.CancerGoldStandard.org.
# # #
For more information:
CEO Roundtable on Cancer
Therese Martin, Project Assistant
P: 919-531-3123