Press Releases
ATLANTA – May 31, 2011 – The American Cancer Society will host its national Corporate Impact Conference, June 9-10, in Minneapolis, Minn., to address strategies targeting the reduction of cancer’s cost within the workplace and the creation of a healthier, more productive employee base that results in increased morale and personal engagement in the fight against the disease.
Cancer’s effect on virtually everyone creates a major impact on the workforce, with an estimated annual expenditure of nearly $264 billion in health care expenses and lost workplace productivity.
The landmark conference, Companies Changing the Course of Cancer, is designed as a unique, single-setting workshop environment for corporate practitioners responsible for their companies’ overall health management, health and wellness programs, corporate social responsibility and corporate citizenship initiatives.
The Impact Conference will feature interactive seminars, led by corporate health and wellness practitioners and those within philanthropic and community involvement initiatives. Workshop topics will include: health marketing to increase employee use of preventive benefits and wellness programs; cancer issues in the workplace; creation of a tobacco-free workplace culture; return on investment metrics driven by employee wellness; best practices in use of social media to advance corporate social responsibility; and the role of technology in volunteer and employee giving programs.
Co-chairing the Corporate Impact Conference will be American Cancer Society Chief Executive Officer John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., and U.S. Bancorp Chairman, President and CEO Richard K. Davis – both of whom will address general session attendees. Other keynote speakers will include James K. Harter, Ph.D., Gallup Consulting’s chief scientist for workplace management and wellbeing; Jason Saul, CEO of Mission Measurement and one of the nation’s leading experts on social impact measurement; and Patrick J. Geraghty, CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
“Cancer touches so many Americans over their lifetimes, and it has a substantial, far-reaching effect on the workplace as well. We must join together in the relentless fight to change the course of this disease,” Seffrin said. “By helping corporations create healthier workforces, we will take action to reduce staggering costs, increase the adoption of healthy lifestyles that can reduce cancer risk, and ensure that people get screened for cancer so it can be diagnosed at the earliest, most treatable stage, and ultimately save more lives and create a world with less disease and more birthdays.”
The Corporate Impact Conference is hosted by the American Cancer Society’s Corporate & Systems Initiative, an effort which creates meaningful, long-term relationships with corporations and employers of all sizes by engaging them in delivery of the Society’s lifesaving mission and support for its numerous programs and services. The Corporate & Systems Initiative helps companies implement scientifically-sound, comprehensive health and wellness programs and provides information and high-quality support for cancer screening and care to help people stay well and get well.
The conference will also spotlight the American Cancer Society Impact Awards Series, which cites outstanding company and individual leadership in workplace wellness and philanthropic involvement, and recognizes significant company collaboration with the Society in the areas of employee giving, employee engagement, and cancer control and tobacco control initiatives. The awards recipients will be announced prior to the beginning of the Corporate Impact Conference.
Additional detailed information about the Corporate Impact Conference is available at: http://www.acsworkplacesolutions.com/corporateimpactconference.asp
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; by helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.5 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Jamie Kimbrough
Director, Media Relations
American Cancer Society
(404) 417-5889
jamie.kimbrough@cancer.org