Prime Therapeutics ReceivesAccreditation
CEO Roundtable on Cancer
Prime Therapeutics is leading by example when it comes to promoting workplace wellness and encouraging healthier behavior. The recently accredited Prime Therapeutics with the recognizing its efforts to reduce the risk of cancer for their employees and covered family members by promoting healthy lifestyle choices, encouraging early detection through cancer screenings, and ensuring access to quality treatment.
Christopher A. Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi, chairs the , the nonprofit organization of cancer-fighting CEOs who created the , in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, many of its designated cancer centers, and leading health non-profit organizations and professionals. Today, more than three million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of the nearly 150 employers who have chosen to become accredited.
“We are pleased to recognize the efforts of Prime Therapeutics,” said Viehbacher. “CEOs in health care industries see firsthand the benefit that improved workplace health and wellness can have in cancer prevention and improved overall health. I hope the leadership and commitment of president and CEO, Eric Elliott and the team at Prime Therapeutics will encourage other employers across all industries to become accredited.”
The calls for organizations to evaluate their health benefits and corporate culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to fight cancer in the workplace. To earn 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.
In addition to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 15 NCI-designated cancer centers and 25 other hospitals and medical centers have earned 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 fight against cancer and other chronic diseases. Other 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.
Headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., Prime Therapeutics is a leader in pharmacy benefit management serving nearly 20 million people and is collectively owned by 13 Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, subsidiaries or affiliates of those plans.
The was founded in 2001, when former President George H.W. Bush challenged a group of executives to "do something bold and venturesome about cancer within your own corporate families." The CEOs responded by creating and encouraging the widespread adoption of the calls for organizations to evaluate their health benefits and workplace culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to fight cancer in the workplace. For more information on the and the web-based accreditation process and support, please visit .