Donald H. Gemson Cancer Prevention Public Policy Award

Share

Background:

The Donald H. Gemson Cancer Prevention Public Policy Award recognizes leadership in broad-based policy change in the fight against cancer, a cause that Don Gemson, MD, MPH, an ACS board member, public health advocate, Columbia University professor and corporate health leader, embraced throughout his vibrant career. Each year ACS CAN will consider nominations to recognize individuals or organizations for their outstanding support of public policy and/or advocacy on behalf of our New York legislative agenda.

Award Criteria

The award recognizes an individual who exemplifies the spirit and work of Don Gemson and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in developing, advocating, advancing and/or implementing prevention-focused policies and practices to reduce the incidence and burden of cancer.  These policies and activities should be aligned with ACS CAN’s official mission outcomes and consistent with science/evidence-based strategy.

These may involve government action, community-based activities or wide-ranging changes at other institutions, such as businesses, unions, or hospitals. Special attention will be paid to the impact on high-risk populations, and the potential for reducing health disparities.

Eligibility & Process

Individuals who influence policy within New York state are eligible for the award.  Public and elected officials, advocates and community leaders, as well as decision-makers and difference-makers in business, health care and labor and others are all considered.

Each nomination should include the name, position/title, and the specific rationale for the nomination (see criteria below.

Criteria:

Nominees should have clear, specific actions they have taken in support of our legislative agenda and cancer issues in general. Additionally, they should not have been a significant opponent on our issues.

Past actions that have earned the award include but are not limited to:

  • Championing federal law making all airlines smoke-free
  • Championing statewide funding for breast cancer screening
  • Restricting tobacco use on the grounds of 17 privately owned shopping malls
  • Restricting tobacco use on all city-operated college campuses

Nomination Deadline

Completed nominations must be received no later than the first Friday in November.

An ACS CAN committee will review nominations on a rolling basis and may select an awardee at any time.

Past Awardees

  • Hon. Thomas DiNapoli, Comptroller, New York State
  • Dr. Fred Jacobs, Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, New Jersey
  • Ronald Nelson, CEO, Avis Budget Group
  • Robert J. Congel, Founder & Chairman, The Pyramid Companies
  • Hon. Frank R. Lautenberg, United State Senate
  • Fikry Isaac, MD, MPH, Johnson & Johnson
  • The Related Companies
  • James B. Milliken, Chancellor, City University of New York
  • Hon. Carl Heastie, Speaker, New York State Assembly
  • Hon. Loretta Weinberg, Majority Leader, New Jersey State Senate
  • Hon. Andrew Cuomo, Governor, New York State
  • Hon. Bill de Blasio, Mayor, City of New York
  • Hon. Linda Rosenthal, New York State Assembly

To learn more about the Donald H. Gemson Cancer Prevention Public Policy Award contact ACS CAN at 212-237-3853 or [email protected].

Background on Donald H. Gemson, M.D.

Dr. Gemson spent his career focused on a preventive health agenda, devoted to the proposition that our communities have it within their power to help residents prevent disease and improve their health.  This is overwhelmingly the case with cancer, and steps to strengthen prevention activities are paramount to the success of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

Dr. Gemson’s work focused strongly on high risk populations, people without access to regular medical care, without insurance, with high incidences of smoking and other high-risk behaviors, with high rates of inadequately treated cancer.

Dr. Gemson was involved with the Harlem Prevention Center, a CDC-funded public health initiative managed by the Harlem Hospital Center, where he brought his medical training and sense of social justice to the task.  Dr. Gemson felt very strongly about the role of public health in reducing health disparities among high-risk populations and about focusing interventions on our most vulnerable populations - the indigent, uninsured, and non-English speaking.

Dr. Gemson understood the importance of population reaching interventions by working through worksites, health systems, and strategic alliances. He was a leader in corporate wellness and modeled this through his work as Corporate Medical Director for Merrill Lynch. He also played an important role in the development of the consulting tool which is used in the American Cancer Society’s Workplace Solutions package to evaluate corporate policies and practices supporting healthy worker behavior in terms of healthy eating, being physically active and avoiding tobacco and assuring that workers have adequate health insurance and access to screening.

Dr. Gemson chaired the New York City Coalition on Smoking or Health and was a member of the NYS Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Advisory Board.  These groups laid the foundation for establishing New York as a leader in tobacco control policy with high cigarette taxes, the strongest clean indoor air policies in the country and a well-funded, effective state tobacco control program.

Dr. Gemson devoted his career to the proposition that progress in prevention is possible, on a population-wide basis, and that government and private sector institutions have an opportunity and responsibility to respond to the problem of cancer.

Updated: 7/2/18

Your Support CAN fight Cancer