Goodmans Interior Structures and Shore Memorial Hospital receives CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation

Goodmans Interior Structures and Shore Memorial Hospital have received CEO Cancer Gold Standard^™ accreditation, recognizing commitment of these organizations to taking concrete actions to reduce the cancer risk of employees and their families through screenings, early detection, and healthy changes in lifestyle.

“We are investing in your health because we care about you”

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, more than one and a quarter million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.

"The leadership and commitment to employee health of these Gold Standard organizations is exemplary," said Weldon. "We hope that they will serve as models for other employers, large and small, for-profit and not-for-profit, to foster a workplace culture of health and wellness."

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.

Employers are uniquely positioned to lead the fight against cancer and make a real difference in the health and wellbeing of their employees and their family members. The cost of cancer in the workplace is extraordinarily high considering the direct medical costs, lost productivity, disability claims and the tremendous personal toll the disease takes on individuals, families and coworkers. Earlier this year the journal Health Affairs reported that employer medical costs fall by about $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programs and that absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73 for every dollar spent.

While the focus of the Gold Standard is cancer, the benefits of encouraging healthy lifestyle choices extend to other serious and expensive chronic conditions and diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The Gold Standard sends an important message to employees: "We are investing in your health because we care about you".