Medical center earns CEO Cancer Gold Standard reaccreditation

Augusta University’s medical center has earned CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ re-accreditation for maintaining a strong commitment to the health of its employees and satisfying the latest, comprehensive requirements of the Gold Standard. The CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a nonprofit organization of CEOs founded by former President George H.W. Bush, developed and administers the Gold Standard, an employee wellness accreditation program that addresses cancer in the workplace.

“Those of us working in health care must set an example for our patients and families, because a healthy lifestyle is the best prevention for illness and disease, including cancer,” said Dr. Peter F. Buckley, Dean of the Medical College of Georgia and Interim CEO of Augusta University’s medical center. “We provide numerous incentives to help employees become tobacco-free and offer several health and wellness opportunities on everything from diet and exercise to screenings and seminars, demonstrating our commitment as a Gold Standard employer.”

To earn Gold Standard accreditation, an employer must establish programs to reduce cancer risk by taking concrete actions in five key areas: establishing policies and programs to reduce cancer risk by prohibiting tobacco use and supporting tobacco cessation efforts; promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition and weight management; providing health insurance options that include detecting cancer at its earliest stages, access to quality care and participation in cancer clinical trials; promoting employee awareness of these initiatives; and supporting the needs of cancer survivors in the workplace.

The medical center was first recognized with the Gold Standard in 2014. Major investments that Augusta University and its academic medical center have made in cancer in recent years make it fertile ground to produce the next big advancement in cancer research and clinical care. Furthermore, the mission of the university’s Georgia Cancer Center is to reduce the burden of cancer in the State of Georgia and across the globe through superior care, innovation, and education.