KANSAS CITY, MO—The Stowers Institute for Medical Research has received CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ accreditation, recognizing the institute’s commitment to the health of their employees and their families.

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.   To earn Gold Standard accreditation, a company must establish programs to reduce cancer risk by prohibiting tobacco use; encouraging physical activity; promoting healthy nutrition; detecting cancer at its earliest stages when outcomes may be more favorable; and providing access to quality care, including participation in cancer clinical trials.

The Stowers Institute was founded by James “Jim” E. Stowers Jr. and Virginia G. Stowers, who, inspired by their personal experiences with cancer, made it their mission to improve people’s lives through innovative approaches to the causes, treatment and prevention of diseases, including cancer.

“As an organization dedicated to improving human health through basic research, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research is proud to have received CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation,”said David Chao, president and chief executive officer of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. “We believe that our efforts to improve human health begin with extending our mission to our employees by creating an environment that encourages a healthy lifestyle.”

Christopher A. Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi, 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 two and a half million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.

About the Stowers Institute

The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is a non-profit, basic biomedical research organization dedicated to improving human health by studying the fundamental processes of life. Jim Stowers, founder of American Century Investments, and his wife Virginia opened the Institute in 2000. Since then, the Institute has spent over a half billion dollars in pursuit of its mission

Currently the Institute is home to over 500 researchers and support personnel; over 20independent research programs; and more than a dozen technology development and core facilities. Learn more about the Institute at http://www.stowers.org.

About The CEO Roundtable on Cancer

The CEO Roundtable on Cancer was founded in 2001, when former President George H.W. Bush challenged a group of executives to "do something bold and venturesome about cancer within your own corporate families." The CEOs responded by creating and encouraging the widespread adoption of the CEO Cancer Gold Standard, a comprehensive program designed to combat cancer from every angle by focusing on prevention, early detection and quality care.  For more information on the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ and the web-based accreditation process and support, please visit www.CancerGoldStandard.org.