CARY, NC (March 18, 2014) – Bayer HealthCare is leading by example when it comes to promoting healthy lifestyle choices and encouraging workplace wellness. The CEO Roundtable on Cancer has accredited Bayer HealthCare’s new U.S. headquarters site in Whippany, N.J., with the CEO Cancer Gold StandardTM recognizing the firm’s efforts to reduce the risk of cancer for its employees and covered family members by establishing programs to reduce cancer risk, encouraging early detection through cancer screenings, and ensuring access to quality treatment.
“Our CEO Cancer Gold Standard certification further demonstrates that Bayer HealthCare 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.
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a nonprofit organization of CEOs founded by former President George H.W. Bush, 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 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 reduce the risk of cancer in the workplace.
“We are honored to be cited with the Gold Standard accreditation for our new Bayer HealthCare site in Whippany, N.J.,” said Dan Apel, site head and head of Bayer HealthCare’s Central Administration and Organization unit. “Bayer remains committed to offering workplace wellness programs and amenities at its sites to employees to help prevent disease and improve overall health, and our Whippany site, in particular, stands out as a shining example of that.”
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. Today, over four million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of the over 160 employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.
In addition to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sixteen NCI-designated cancer centers and over sixty other hospitals and medical centers 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 are diverse. They include: Avis Budget Group, the Harvard School of Public Health, Lowe’s, UMB Financial and the University of North Dakota; insurers such as Aetna, many Blue Cross affiliates, Cigna and State Farm; law firms, such as Cozen O’Connor, Hogan Lovells, Jenner & Block, and Latham & Watkins; and other globally recognized employers including Dell, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Quintiles Transnational, RTI International, Red Hat and SAS Institute.
Bayer: Science For A Better Life
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech polymer materials. As an innovation company, it sets trends in research-intensive areas. Bayer’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Bayer aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2013, the Bayer employed 113,200 people and had sales of €40.2 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to €2.2 billion, R&D expenses to €3.2 billion. For more information, go to www.bayer.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.
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For more information:
CEO Roundtable on Cancer
Therese Martin, Project Assistant
P: 919-531-3123