Latham & Watkins, a leading global law firm, is working with its lawyers and staff to promote healthy lifestyle choices and encourage workplace wellness. The CEO Roundtable on CancerTM has accredited Latham & Watkins with the CEO Cancer Gold Standard recognizing the firm's efforts to reduce the risk of cancer for its employees and covered family members by establishing programs to reduce cancer risk, encouraging early detection through cancer screenings, and ensuring access to quality treatment.
"Adopting the Gold Standard is a tribute to the extraordinary leadership of Latham & Watkins and the firm's commitment to playing an active role in addressing cancer," said Christopher A. Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi and chairman of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a nonprofit organization of CEOs founded by former President George H.W. Bush, created the CEO Cancer Gold Standard in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, many of its designated cancer centers, and leading nonprofit, health organizations. The Gold Standard calls for companies to evaluate their health benefits and corporate culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to reduce the risk of cancer in the workplace.
To earn Gold Standard accreditation, a company must establish programs to reduce cancer risk by discouraging tobacco use; encouraging physical activity; promoting healthy diet and nutrition; detecting cancer at its earliest stages; and providing access to quality care, including participation in clinical trials. Today, over four million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of the nearly 160 employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.
One example of the many components that comprise LiveWell Latham, the firm's overall wellness program, is a free smoke-and-tobacco cessation program in the United States. With help from experts at Mayo Clinic's Tobacco Quitline, the program includes 1-on-1 professional coaching, free over-the-counter Nicotine replacement products (patches, lozenges or gum), a 24/7 nurse line for help with nicotine withdrawal symptoms, and a self-paced workbook with quit tips and strategies.
In addition to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fifteen NCI-designated cancer centers and over forty other hospitals and medical centers have earned Gold Standard accreditation. CEOs from across industries are keenly aware of the tremendous impact they can have in improving health, controlling health care costs and making a difference beyond their organization's walls in the effort to address cancer and other chronic diseases. Other Gold Standard employers include insurers like Aetna, Cigna, State Farm and several Blue Cross affiliates; law firms, such as Hogan Lovells and Jenner & Block; technology companies such as Dell and SAS Institute; and a range of leading employers including American Century Investments, Johnson & Johnson and Lowe's.