Upstate Medical University earns CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation

The CEO Roundtable on Cancer has awarded SUNY Upstate Medical University with the CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation.

 

The accreditation follows Upstate Medical’s efforts to reduce the risk of cancer for its employees and covered family members, the CEO Roundtable said in a news release.

 

The CEO Roundtable is citing Upstate Medical’s work in promoting healthy lifestyle choices, encouraging early detection through cancer screenings, and ensuring access to quality treatment.

 

“We are pleased to recognize the efforts of SUNY Upstate Medical University and their dedication to health care that begins with improving the health and wellness of their own employees,” Christopher Viehbacher, chairman of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, said in the release.

 

The CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a nonprofit organization of CEOs that former President George H.W. Bush founded in 2001, 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, the CEO Roundtable said.

 

To earn Gold Standard accreditation, an organization 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, the CEO Roundtable said.

 

“An academic-medical center leads by example, and ensuring that our employees and their families have the knowledge, opportunities and encouragement to lead healthy lifestyles, especially when it relates to cancer, enhances the care we offer our patients,” Dr. David Smith, president of Upstate Medical University, said in the news release.

 

More than 150 employers, with employees and family members totaling more than 4 million people, have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited, according to the CEO Roundtable.

 

Upstate has developed “numerous” initiatives to demonstrate its commitment to building a healthy workplace, especially as it relates to cancer, the CEO Roundtable said.

 

In 2005, Upstate Medical became the first of 64 SUNY campuses to be completely smoke-free.

 

In addition, Upstate Medical is currently building a $75 million cancer center that will house the academic medical center’s outpatient-cancer services and be home to a full range of cancer services and treatments.

 

Upstate records more than 112,000 patient visits annually for cancer-treatment services, according to the CEO Roundtable.

 

SUNY Upstate Medical University, the region’s largest employer with nearly 9,000 employees, serves 1.8 million people in New York state — from Canada to Pennsylvania — with its educational, clinical, and research missions.

 

 

 

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com