Claflin University Earns Prestigious CEO Gold Standard Employer Accreditation

Claflin joins more than 200 private, non-profit, and government organizations that have earned Gold Standard Accreditation

Claflin’s commitment to improving the health and wellness of residents throughout Orangeburg, neighboring communities, and the campus community was amplified when the University earned accreditation as a CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ employer.  The Gold Standard is a workplace wellness accreditation program developed by the CEO Roundtable on Cancer that encourages and celebrates organizations committed to reducing the risk and burden of cancer among employees, families, and communities. 

“We are thrilled to congratulate Claflin University, a proud Going4Gold partner, for achieving Gold Standard accreditation,” said Joya Delgado Harris,  MPH Executive Director, CEO Cancer Gold Standard, CEO Roundtable on Cancer.  “This remarkable accomplishment highlights the University’s ongoing commitment to a culture of health by advancing prevention, diagnosis, and quality treatment for cancer for their students, faculty, staff, alumni, families, and community. Furthermore, it complements the University’s ongoing efforts to address and reduce health disparities.”

Going4Gold extends the CEO Cancer Gold Standard® employer accreditation to recognize universities that champion health and well-being by advancing cancer prevention, diagnosis, and quality treatment for their students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and communities.  The partnership is focused on Minority-Serving Institutions, specifically four-year, private Hispanic-Serving Institutions with at least 60% Hispanic enrollment, and seeks to include all 101 HBCUs in the U.S. Of those HBCUs, 50 institutions have health-affiliated programs such as medical schools, nursing, pre-med, health information, and health communication, which provide opportunities for clinical trials, developing health materials, shaping community outreach and research experience through CEO Roundtable’s Project Data Sphere®.  This program expands access to clinical trial research and offers an open-access digital platform for aggregating and analyzing data to advance health equity efforts.

“This is an amazing recognition of our commitment to fostering a healthy work environment for our employees and promoting health consciousness to our students,” said Claflin President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack.  “It’s another example of our leadership in this space. We want to be intentional and proactive in implementing programs we hope will minimize the risk of cancer and other diseases within the campus community and beyond.”  

The CEO Roundtable on Cancer was founded by the late George H.W. Bush, the forty-first President of the United States.  It comprises leaders from industry, academia, and government to accelerate progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. It also promotes innovation and collaboration to improve outcomes for individuals affected by cancer worldwide.

 “This achievement provides an opportunity to harness technology and foster innovation in healthcare solutions,” said Dr. Karina Liles, chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. “This recognition reinforces Claflin’s position as a leader among HBCUs, highlighting its contributions to innovation and impact across various areas, including enhancing health outcomes and promoting equity in underserved communities.”

Claflin joins more than 200 private, non-profit, and government organizations, large and small, from diverse industries that have earned Gold Standard accreditation, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the federal government’s principal agency for cancer research and training, and many NCI- designated cancer centers.