CARY, NC (May 30, 2013) – Valley Health System, a healthcare provider in Ridgewood NJ, is leading by example when it comes to promoting workplace wellness and encouraging healthier behavior. The CEO Roundtable on Cancer recently accredited Valley Health System with the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™. The Gold Standard recognizes 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 three million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of nearly 150 employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.
“Our Gold Standard certification acknowledges the personal leadership of President and CEO Audrey Meyers and recognizes that Valley Health System’s efforts to improve health begin with the company’s own employees and their family members,” said Viehbacher.
Ms. Meyers remarked “Achieving CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation reflects Valley’s commitment to providing exceptional cancer prevention services to our employees, their families, and to all of our patients, and is recognition of the quality of our comprehensive, multidisciplinary patient care. We are proud to have met this high standard and to be recognized for our efforts to reduce the risk of cancer for our employees and the community.”
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; institutes of higher education and a range of leading employers including American Century Investments, Johnson & Johnson and Lowe’s.
About Valley Health System
Valley Health System owns and operates The Valley Hospital, an accredited, 451-bed acute care, not-for-profit hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Valley is proud to be the hospital of choice for hundreds of thousands of residents of northern New Jersey. The Valley Hospital is an affiliate of New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System and the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions. These include 10 consecutive recognitions for service excellence by J.D. Power and Associates for inpatient care. Valley has also been honored twice with “Magnet” designation – the nursing profession’s highest honor and holds “Gold Seals of Approval” from the Joint Commission in 11 clinical areas. Key services include cardiology, oncology, women’s and children’s services, emergency care, orthopedics, and neurosciences.
In addition to The Valley Hospital, Valley Health System includes Valley Home Care and Valley Medical Group. For more information please visit www.valleyhealth.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