San Jose City Hall, 801 North First Street, Room 500, San Jose, CA 95110 (408)277-5800
For Immediate Release: January 25, 2001
Contact: David Vossbrink, Office of the Mayor (408) 277-5800
Mayor Gonzales Proposes Cancer
Screening for San Jose City Employees
San Jose to become model for other employers
San Jose, CA - San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales announced his commitment to ensure that City of San Jose employees will have the opportunity to receive regular screening for breast and prostate cancer.
The goal of the program is to help employees detect cancer as early as possible. City employees would be able to take time away from their job for regular cancer screenings without losing pay. Under Mayor Gonzales’s proposal, the City of San Jose would become the first city in the state to provide employees with screening opportunities.
"If one life is saved and one family’s anguish is spared because of early detection of this deadly disease, then this investment will be worth while," said Mayor Gonzales. "By taking a proactive role, we can save lives and improve the quality of life of our employees and their families."
Gonzales also challenged other local employers to take similar preventive measures for their employees.
"Early diagnosis can save lives. This program will be relatively easy to implement for the City, and we can become a model for other employers. By investing in the health of their employees, businesses can improve their bottom line, protect the quality of life in the workplace, and ensure their long-term productivity."
According to the American Cancer Society, survival rates for common cancers, such as breast cancer or prostate cancer, are 90 to 95 percent if they are discovered early before the cancer has spread.
Currently the City of San Jose has approximately 7000 employees, and nearly half would fall into risk groups where regular screenings for breast or prostate cancer would be effective because of their age. Gonzales will recommend to the San Jose City Council that the cancer screening program be included in the upcoming budget.
In 1999, California Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante launched a statewide campaign in partnership with the American Cancer Society to promote breast cancer awareness and early screening through workplace programs.
"Early detection is one of our best weapons to fight breast cancer and save lives," said Bustamante. "I applaud Mayor Gonzales and the city of San Jose for joining our campaign to address this critical health issue."
San Jose also joins other cities in the nation that have made commitments to increase breast and prostate cancer awareness through the United States Conference of Mayors and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We are pleased that the Mayor is moving forward with plans to provide paid time off for city employees for cancer screening," said Dr. George Fisher, board president of the Santa Clara County American Cancer Society. "Early detection is an important first step in saving lives that allows individuals to receive timely and appropriate care."
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in California, accounting for nearly one in four deaths. For more information about cancer, screening guidelines, and early detection, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345.
The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service.
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