Getting Started

Teamwork

Establishing a culture of health and well-being takes participation from all levels of an organization - from the senior leaders who set priorities and sanction the allocation of resources - to the employees who take ownership to practice healthy lifestyles. The Gold Standard asks organizations to demonstrate that its health benefits and workplace culture include extensive, concrete actions in five key areas known as the Five Pillars.

Because organization operations differ, the approach to completing the Gold Standard application will vary. Depending on your organizations size and structure, input may be required from a variety of departments and/or functional areas. Lessons learned from previous applicants highlight the importance of Communication, Collaboration and Champions.

Communication

Communicate intentions to apply for accreditation to all departments/branches of the organization.
Include a short fact sheet about the Gold Standard and the reasons for Going for Gold.
Demonstrate support from senior leadership in the communication.

Collaboration

Identify functional areas that will be involved in completing the application.
Be careful not to re-create the wheel, make sure you understand what's already going on to create a culture of health within your organization.
Identify how best to proceed given your current organization structure (new team needed?, additional task for an existing team?).
Identify a single Gold Standard Primary Contact that will act as the liason to the CEO Roundtable on Cancer staff.

Champions

Champions serve as an advocate for the health & well-being program.
Typically this person is health conscious and can serve as a role model and spokesperson.
Can see if the programs and policies are being accepted and able to provide valuable feedback.

The Lay of the Land

If you've made the decision to Go for the Gold!, the following will help as you begin your Gold Standard Journey!

The Five Pillars: The Gold Standard calls for organizations to evaluate their health benefits and workplace culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas known as the Five Pillars.

Are You Ready?: Access your readiness to begin the online application. If you can complete the checklist, you may be ready to become a Gold Standard Organization! Download Print version here.

Application Overview: Before diving into the online application, become familiar with the application basics, user accounts and question types.

Application Resources: There are quite a few resources within the application to guide you including tips, definitions and helpful links.

Review, Results & Feedback: Understand how the submitted application will be evaluated and how the results will be communicated.

CEO Cancer Gold Standard Application

The Gold Standard application must be submitted online. However, many applicants find it helpful to download the application for review and reference.

Complete Gold Standard Application (.pdf)
Organization Profile (.pdf)
Pillar 1: Health Education & Navigation (.pdf)
Pillar 2: Prevention & Early Detection (.pdf)
Pillar 3: Advancing Treatment (.pdf)
Pillar 4: Survivorship (.pdf)
Pillar 5: Well-Being (.pdf)
Essays (.pdf)
Certification and CEO Affirmation (.pdf)
Terms of Use (.pdf)

Note: There are a variety of print options within the application allowing users to print an in-process applications.

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