News Roundup

6.23.2021: North Texas Chapter Meeting, tour of American Cancer Society Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge

In accordance with health protocols, a partial group of the North Texas Chapter toured the newly completed Hope Lodge Dallas on June 23rd. The chapter had a great time touring the facility, and was very excited to see the vision of this facility come to fruition. The chapter also celebrated reaching its goal of raising one fiscal year’s worth of operational funds for Hope Lodge Dallas. The North Texas Chapter looks forward to Hope Lodge Dallas’ opening in the fall of 2021, and the start of serving patients and their caregivers.

North Texas Chapter members in photo (from left to right): Joe LaMarca, Mandy Austin, James Frary, Ben Jackson, T.C. Broadnax.

4.29.2021 – 5.20.2021: Fit2BeCancerFree step challenge

The North Texas CEOs Against Cancer chapter rallied around the American Cancer Society’s annual Fit2BeCancerFree step challenge again from April 29 – May 20, 2021. This step challenge initiative that runs on a smartphone app platform creates an opportunity for the North Texas chapter members to lead by example by encouraging their employees to be more active. Participating North Texas chapter members included: McKesson Corporation (USA and Canada), Bank of Texas, AMN Healthcare, Texas Capital Bank, US Acute Care Solutions, City of Dallas, City of Fort Worth, Dallas Housing Authority, Oncor Electric Delivery, and Lockheed Martin. Combined our North Texas chapter members had over 5,000 employees participate in 2021, and tracked 359,341 miles during the three weeks. We are also pleased to announce that with the leadership of Chapter member Brian Tyler, McKesson tracked a total of 255,301 miles and was recognized by American Cancer Society as the 2021 National Employee Challenge Winner for most distance accrued.

9.15.2020: North Texas Corporate Wellness Forum

The American Cancer Society Corporate Wellness Forum was held virtually on September 15, 2020. The forum focused on best practices within corporate wellness programs and how they impact the bottom line of corporations, in addition to addressing health challenges in the changing workplace. The forum featured an esteemed line up of panelists that discussed internal communication, mental health, and cancer in the workplace. The speakers included Elizabeth Kiertscher, Garland ISD; John Korinek, PartnerComm Inc; Ben Jackson, AT&T; Marianne Fazen, DFW Business Group on Health; and Will Maddox, D CEO Magazine served as emcee of the forum.

American Cancer Society has provided some great additional resources along with the forum recording. Please click here to access all resources for you and your organization.

Thank you to our presenting sponsor Oncor Electric Delivery and our supporting sponsors, AMN Healthcare, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, D CEO Magazine, Lockton Companies, and McKesson Corporation

Coverage on D CEO Magazine.

9.12.2020: Lights of Hope

North Texas CEOs Against Cancer chapter members joined together to celebrate American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s annual Lights of Hope event. Lights of Hope is a national event held each year to raise awareness and funds for the ACS Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). Due to COVID-19 protocol and restrictions, the placing of 40,000 + luminarias along the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington D.C. was not possible, so the North Texas CEOs Against Cancer chapter decided to illuminate North Texas. City of Fort Worth, City of Dallas, AT&T, and McKesson Corporation, all North Texas chapter members, led the way for many other companies and buildings in North Texas to join.

For more information about Lights of Hope: https://www.fightcancer.org/about-lights-hope

For more information about ACS Cancer Action Network: https://www.fightcancer.org/

Coverage on NBC DFW.

7.16.2020 - 8.06.2020: Fit2BeCancerFree Step Challenge

The North Texas CEOs Against Cancer chapter rallied around the American Cancer Society’s annual Fit2BeCancerFree step challenge from July 16 through August 6. This step challenge initiative that runs on a smartphone app platform creates an opportunity for the North Texas chapter members to lead by example by encouraging their employees to be more active. Participating North Texas chapter members included: McKesson Corporation, Bank of Texas/Bank of Oklahoma Financial, AMN Healthcare, City of Dallas, City of Fort Worth, US Acute Care Solutions, Oncor Electric Delivery, and Lockheed Martin. All of our North Texas chapter members devoted significant time, energy and communication efforts to the Fit2BeCancerFree step challenge, and we are proud of their leadership to promote cancer prevention behaviors. Of note, in the overall national challenge McKesson Corporation signed up 4,899 employees and stepped 278,191 miles to finish # 1 out of 70 plus companies across the United States. In addition to championing healthy behaviors, the chapter member companies and their employees also raised significant funds for ACS’ mission.

Collectively the North Texas chapter member companies had 5,889 employees participate in Fit2BeCancerFree step challenge, and stepped a total of 319,926 miles! According to NASA, the moon is approximately 238,855 miles from the earth. Knowing that, our North Texas chapter stepped to the moon and beyond. So, in the spirt of the National Cancer Institute’s “Cancer Moonshot,” we can certainly say that our North Texas chapter members are accelerating cancer prevention and research (step by step) as they shoot for the moon!

Final Standings Leaderboard

4.22.2020: Managing Cancer Care and Prevention throughout COVID-19 Webinar

In conjunction with our recent North Texas Chapter Meeting in November 2019 at UT Southwestern Medical Center, American Cancer Society partnered with UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center to host a timely webinar titled “Managing Cancer Care and Prevention throughout COVID-19”. The webinar included John Sweetenham, MD, FRCP, FACPO, FASCO, and Durado Brooks, MD, MPH, as they provided great insight, knowledge, and information on managing cancer treatment and physician visits during COVID-19 and improving health behaviors and cancer control during shelter at home/work from home. To view the webinar recording, click here.

11.19.19: National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable Annual Meeting

Ben Jackson, AT&T, was one of three recipients to receive the National Achievement Award, profiling the success of 80% in Every Community. This is an NCCRT initiative that continues the progress, commitment and reemphasizes our dedication to partnership, collective action and the pooling of resources to reach 80% colorectal cancer screening rates nationally. 2019 NCCRT Annual Meeting

11.11.19: North Texas Chapter Meeting hosted by UT Southwestern Medical Center

Nov Chapter Meeting Group Photo 2019_edi

10.18.2019: Cancer Research Is On The Ballot This November

This month, McKesson hosted a presentation from the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network to present the merits of state agency Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). CPRIT is the second largest funder of cancer research in the nation, and was created in 2007 by voters to invest $3 billion in cancer research and prevention in Texas. D CEO Magazine

5.28.2019: North Texas Chapter Pledge to fund Hope Lodge Dallas

The American Cancer Society today announced its North Texas CEOs Against Cancer chapter will raise funds for a year of operating expenses for Hope Lodge Dallas, a free lodging facility for patients seeking treatment at any of Dallas’ premier medical centers. Read the press release here and D CEO Magazine

5.7.2019: Hope Lodge Dallas Groundbreaking

The American Cancer Society broke ground on the American Cancer Society Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge, a 50 room no-cost lodging facility for cancer patients that have to travel for treatment. The lodge will be located on property donated by Baylor Scott & White Health, adjacent to its Baylor University Medical Center campus, and is expected to open in early 2021. Dallas Morning News, ABC WFAA, D CEO Magazine, and Fort Worth Business Press.

3.11.2019: Bell Opens New Employee Clinic: Dallas Business Journal

Bell gets creative and prioritizes employee health with newly opened clinic. Read the Dallas Business Journal article here.

2.19.2019: AT&T Recognized by National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable

The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT), an organization co-founded by the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recognized six honorees with the 80% by 2018 National Achievement Award, a national honor recognizing leadership in the ongoing effort to increase colorectal cancer screening rates across the Unites States.

The 80% by 2018 National Achievement Award recognizes individuals and organizations who dedicate their time, talent and expertise to advancing needed initiatives to reach the national goal of regularly screening 80% of adults age 50 or over for colorectal cancer. Over 1,700 organizations, including medical professional societies, academic centers, survivor groups, government agencies, cancer coalitions, cancer centers, and payers have signed a pledge to make this goal a priority. The 80% by 2018 initiative concluded at the end of 2018, but a new campaign, 80% in Every Community, is being launched to continue national momentum to reach the 80% goal.

AT&T was recognized in the employer category.

AT&T is the world’s largest communications company by revenue and is rapidly transforming into a leader in entertainment and technology. As a large employer, AT&T provides access to health care to almost one million employees, retirees and their family members. Starting in 2016, AT&T partnered with the American Cancer Society to deliver colorectal cancer screening education to employees, including an event featuring a live webcast, panel discussion, and interactive exhibit. AT&T then signed the 80% Pledge in 2017, becoming one of the largest organizations to make a commitment to the 80% goal. The following year, AT&T hosted a series of weekly awareness videos featuring Dak Prescott, NFL quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, to encourage employees to get screened. They also featured employee testimonials to bring the day-to-day story of colorectal cancer to life. AT&T has also promoted screening in the community by sharing messages on a local radio station in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metro area. Colorectal cancer screening among AT&T’s U.S.-based employees has increased eight percentage points between 2016 and 2018.

More coverage here.

2.13.2019: North Texas Corporate Wellness Forum

The 2019 North Texas Corporate Wellness Forum was held on February 13, 2019 at the Lincoln Experience Center in Frisco. Your investment in the American Cancer Society and our corporate wellness forum assists us in our goal of building healthier communities and corporations and our mission to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the world in the fight against cancer.

The forum featured an American Cancer Society staff keynote address on myths of wellness programming and then a panel discussion comprised of local business leaders from AT&T (Levin Gunter), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (Paul Hain, MD), and Oncor Electric Delivery (Becky Hall), who shared their real world successes and lessons learned on incentive use, field location engagement, and total employee wellbeing. Will Maddox of D CEO Magazine served as emcee of the event.

Coverage on cancer.org/texas and D CEO Magazine. Photo credits to Mike Lewis Photography.

9.11.2018: North Texas Chapter Meeting, hosted by Lockheed Martin

3.20.2018: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Op-Ed: Colorectal Cancer Awareness

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram published an op-ed, signed by chapter member Joe LaMarca, encouraging employers to focus on the 80 by 18 initiative. The editorial centers on the importance of colon cancer screenings and how employers need to lead the way to healthy living. Many thanks to Joe LaMarca, who has served as a Tarrant County board member and Lockheed Martin liaison for the CEOs Against Cancer North Texas Chapter, for his commitment to the American Cancer Society and its mission.

1.24.2018: North Texas Chapter Meeting, hosted by Bank of Texas

2.17.2017: New Chapter Chair Announced: Dallas Morning News via PressReader

James Frary is announced as the North Texas Chapter chair for CEOs Against Cancer.