“Each year Memorial Hermann helps thousands of cancer patients find hope and healing, and we are equally devoted to providing our employees with the resources they need to stay healthy and cancer-free,” said Erin Asprec, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Memorial Hermann Health System. “We are honored to receive the CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation in recognition of these efforts.”
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a nonprofit organization of CEOs, founded by former President George H.W. Bush, created the Gold Standard to recognize employers for taking exceptional health and wellness measures on behalf of their employees and family members. Employers are keenly aware of the positive impact they can have on health and controlling healthcare costs when they take steps to address cancer and other chronic diseases.
“We are pleased to recognize the efforts of Memorial Hermann Health System,” said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer of Amgen and chairman of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer. “CEOs in healthcare industries see firsthand the benefit that improved workplace health and wellness can have in cancer prevention and improved overall health. I hope the leadership and commitment of Dr. David Callender and the team at Memorial Hermann will encourage other employers across all industries to become Gold Standard accredited.”
To earn Gold Standard accreditation, an employer must establish programs to reduce cancer risk by taking concrete actions in five key areas: emphasize prevention by prohibiting tobacco use and supporting tobacco cessation efforts; promoting healthy lifestyles through physical activity, healthy nutrition and weight management; providing health insurance options that encourage detection of cancer at its earliest stages, ensure access to quality care, and allow participation in cancer clinical trials; promoting employee awareness of these initiatives; and supporting the needs of cancer survivors in the workplace.
The Gold Standard provides a framework through which employers can lead by example. Over 200 private, non-profit and government employers in a wide range of industries have earned Gold Standard accreditation including health and wellness influencers like the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As leading providers of cancer treatment in Houston, Memorial Hermann Cancer Centers are committed to cancer treatment, prevention and research. The system’s broad geographical coverage makes cancer treatment extremely accessible and convenient to where patients live or work. Patients who receive care at any of the system’s accredited Centers are guaranteed access to: comprehensive care; a multidisciplinary, collaborative team approach for coordinating the best available treatment options; state-of-the-art equipment and services; information about clinical trials and new treatment options; education and support; and lifelong patient follow-up through the Cancer Registry.
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 no-cost, web-based accreditation process, please visit www.CancerGoldStandard.org.
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For more information:
CEO Roundtable on Cancer
Mary Anne Rhyne, Communications Director, CEO Roundtable on Cancer
P: (919) 221-6053, ext 709