CEO Cancer Gold Standard employee wellness program highlighted in Harvard Business Review

The latest issue of Harvard Business Review highlighted the CEO Cancer Gold Standard, as an example of a high quality, signature program that can boost the overall effectiveness of a broad spectrum of workplace wellness initiatives. In an article entitled, "What's the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs?" it was shown that the return on investment (ROI) of effective workplace wellness programs can be as high as 6 to 1.

“do something bold and venturesome about cancer within your own corporate families.”

William C. Weldon, chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson, chairs the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a 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, nearly two million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.

The CEO Cancer 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 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.

From the December, 2010 Harvard Business Review article:

A signature program. A high-profile, high-quality initiative within a broader wellness program can foster employee pride and involvement. Consider, for instance, when MD Anderson became the first health care organization to earn gold-standard accreditation from the CEO Roundtable on Cancer. Earning the accreditation is no small task: it requires tobacco-free work sites, benefit plans that cover recommended cancer screenings, assistance to employees with cancer in entering appropriate clinical trials, and investment in workers' physical activity and nutrition. Many people throughout the organization view this commitment as a badge of honor.