Aflac 2015 Annual Report Download - page 33

Aflac Incorporated Year in Review 2015 | 31
The Aflac Cancer Center also saw a bittersweet
milestone in 2015. After serving for the past 15
years, William G. Woods, M.D., professor and
director of the Aflac Cancer Center decided it
was the right time to pass the leadership torch
to his successor, Douglas K. Graham, M.D., Ph.D..
Throughout his tenure, Dr. Woods has touched
the lives of thousands of his patients and their
families, and left an indelible footprint on the
Aflac Cancer Center. Taking the reins and leading
the next chapter of the Aflac Cancer Center, Dr.
Graham brings a wealth of experience to the table,
having previously served as Professor of Pediatrics
and immunology at Children’s Hospital Colorado,
where he oversaw all clinical oncology research.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
As our story unfolds into 2016 and
beyond, we believe the strengths that
have positioned Aflac as the leading
provider of voluntary insurance products
at the worksite are firmly established, and
we are positioning Aflac in a way that we
believe will enhance our footprint in the
ever-changing health care environment.
The United States continues to be well
suited for the types of products we offer,
and we still believe that there is significant
room for growth. As businesses and
consumers continue to look for practical
and affordable solutions to the challenging
health care market the United States
faces, we believe a desire for the type
of supplemental products Aflac sells will
continue to grow. Accordingly, we are also
confident that our leading brand, compre-
hensive array of products and expanding
distribution system will continue to position
Aflac as the voluntary insurance company
of choice and the leading provider of
voluntary insurance at the worksite.
We believe these attributes, along with
innovative solutions like One Day Pay, will
help Aflac stand out in this increasingly
competitive and evolving market.
Though many things have changed
over the course of our six decades,
one storyline has remained the same –
our promise to exemplify The Aflac Way
by being there for our policyholders
when they need us most and paying
claims fairly and promptly.
Aflac Cancer and
Blood Disorders Center
2015 marked a series of milestones in the
journey of the Aflac Cancer and Blood
Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare
of Atlanta, including the celebration of its
20th anniversary of partnership with Aflac.
Since 1995, the Aflac Cancer Center has
become nationally renowned as one of the
leading childhood cancer, hematology, and
blood and marrow transplant programs in
the country. Thanks to innovative research
and leading-edge treatment options,
childhood cancer now has a five-year
survival rate of 80%.
2015 also saw another major milestone
for both Aflac as a company and the
Aflac Cancer Center—exceeding the
$100 million mark in contributions to the
Aflac Cancer Center. This cause is near
and dear to the heart of the Aflac family,
including the foundation, executives,
employees and field force.
Aflac’s independent sales agents
contribute from their monthly
commissions to the Aflac Cancer Center,
providing innovative funding for research.
This generosity has contributed to the
Aflac Cancer Center’s success and
distinction in research, a factor which
led to the Aflac Cancer Center being
named one of the top 10 pediatric cancer
programs in the United States in 2015 by
U.S. News and World Report.