CARY, NC (January 6, 2013) –The Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, is leading by example when it comes to promoting workplace wellness and encouraging healthier behavior. The CEO Roundtable on Cancer has recognized the Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health with CEO Cancer Gold StandardTM accreditation for its efforts to reduce the risk of cancer for its employees and covered family members by promoting healthy lifestyle choices, encouraging early detection through cancer screenings, and ensuring access to quality treatment.
“The Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health is leading by example in promoting healthier behavior,” said Christopher A. Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi and chairman of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer. “I hope their vision and commitment to better health will encourage other employers in Texas and across all industries and geographies to become Gold Standard accredited.”
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.
“Our institution has made great strides forward to ensure that our faculty and staff have every opportunity to make healthy choices regarding their healthcare, physical wellness, and nutrition,” said Interim Dean, James N. Burdine, Dr.P.H. “We will continue to work to sustain and improve the health and wellness of our faculty, staff and their families.”
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 nearly 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), 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 effort to address 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 Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health
The school is ranked nationally by “U.S. News and World Report” as a top 25 graduate school of public health. The mission of the school is to create, translate, and apply knowledge in educating public health leaders, engage in public health service and research, and transfer what we have learned into public health practices and policies to improve the health of the public. With over 85 percent of faculty on sponsored research, professors are engaged in research projects ranging from emergency preparedness to community health development. Yet, each of them share a passion for learning. Students use faculty as advisors, and each student participates in a practicum during their stay. Students have conducted epidemiologic studies, assisted in programs/centers of faculty, and many others have served as interns in Texas and abroad.
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 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