Local hospitals kick the habit

Better think again.

Most hospitals in Missouri implemented campuswide bans on all tobacco products Sept. 1, following a recommendation from the Missouri Hospital Association, and in anticipation of new state regulations that take effect in July.

“The hospital community decided, since we’re supportive of these type of wellness initiatives, to go tobacco free Sept. 1, rather than wait until we’re required by regulation,” said MHA spokesman Dave Dillon.

“Hospitals have demonstrated that we want to do the right thing by implementing our policies early,” he added.

The ban varies from hospital to hospital. The state’s new regulation requires that hospitals have a written policy in place that spells out the parameters for facilities and campuses, and states what areas are covered by the tobacco ban.

Representatives from area hospitals – Citizens Memorial, CoxHealth, St. John’s Health System and Doctors Hospital – all say the new regulations have gone off without a hitch.

“I was afraid people were going to throw things at me, but people have been pretty good about it,” said Anne Bristow, a registered respiratory therapist and head of the smoking cessation program at Citizens Memorial Hospital. “They’ve been talking about this for several years, and I don’t think it was a shock. Also, as health care professionals, we all know what smoking does to you. It’s a terrible addiction.”

St. John’s spokeswoman Cora Scott said that managers and guest services representatives have cards that explain the tobacco-free policy and ask people to honor it.

“We’ve been really pleased that we’ve experienced very few problems,” Scott said. “We’ve had to approach a few people, of course, and remind them that we’re a tobacco-free campus, but by and large, most people have been pretty gracious.”

Hospital representatives say their facilities are pairing the new, stricter regulations with increased assistance to break the hold of nicotine, particularly on employees.

Cessation incentives

CoxHealth officials estimate that about 20 percent of its 9,000 employees uses tobacco. CoxHealth offered free classes on how to reduce or eliminate tobacco usage for employees and their spouses. The classes were paired with vouchers to buy nicotine alternatives – such as patches, gum and lozenges – at cost from the hospital’s pharmacies.

Darrell Williams, coordinator of CoxHealth’s Treatment and Individualized Plan program, said more than 200 people participated in the classes.

“They would sit through an hour of training, and they would get the voucher,” Williams said. “It wasn’t just a matter of getting the replacement therapy – it was about knowing how to use it effectively and make the connection with me, so they could use my services down the road if needed.”

Education, according to MHA’s Dillon, is essential to the success of the new restrictions.

“It’s clear that nicotine has a hold on a lot of people, so most hospitals will work with people on employee-specific plans for smoking cessation,” he said.

St. John’s, Citizens and Doctors Hospital offered similar programs to their employees.

Scott said about 17 percent of St. John’s 9,800 employees use tobacco, adding that the hospital has had good success in helping people remain tobacco-free after completing its cessation program.

About 25 employees at Doctors Hospital have taken advantage of its tobacco-cessation program and can receive free cessation aids from their physicians, according to Alexis Brown, director of communication for Doctors Hospital.

“We’ve had some success cases with people who have quit using tobacco and some with people who have greatly reduced their usage,” Brown said. “They might have in the past been going out four or five times a day, and now they’re just smoking during lunch. We consider that a success.”

Such programs are essential in light of the tobacco-free policy, said Amber Schmidt, southwest regional manager for the American Lung Association’s Show-Me Health Program.

“Any time you see a regulation change like this, you need to make sure people are taken care of and given options to quit smoking,” Schmidt said. “It’s a very addictive habit, so without those programs, things like this wouldn’t work.”

Several area hospitals also offer lower health insurance premiums for employees who refrain from tobacco, though those incentives aren’t necessarily tied to the new tobacco-free policies.

“About five years ago, we started offering a break for people who didn’t use tobacco products – about $5 a pay period,” said Don Anderson, vice president of human resources for CoxHealth.

“For people within our health plan, they are required to sign a statement saying they haven’t used tobacco in the last 30 days – they or their spouse, if it’s a family plan.”

A new hot spot

For those who haven’t been able to quit smoking – whether they’re health system employees or visitors – the new policy means that they must abandon the traditional hot spot for smokers: parking lots.

All area hospitals have included their parking lots in the areas where tobacco usage is prohibited.

Smokers are finding other places where they can light up.

“Initially it turned out to be the bus shelter out front (of the hospital), but City Utilities said, ‘No, we don’t want your employees there,’” Cox’s Anderson said, adding that smokers at the south campus and in the medical buildings around it are using the area around Burrell Lake, which isn’t included in the tobacco-free policy.

“We remind them not to abuse the privilege – police the area, don’t throw your butts on the ground – and it seems to be working.”

And as the smokers adjust, hospitals will continue to encourage them to quit.

“Whatever we can do to help, we want to do,” said Bristow at Citizens. “We know how terribly devastating it is physically, but we also know how addicting the stuff is, so we’re happy to do whatever we can to help.”

Tobacco-free regulations

“The chief executive officer shall be responsible for the development and enforcement of written policies and procedures that prohibit the use of tobacco products throughout the hospital and its facilities. At a minimum, such policies and procedures shall include a description of the area encompassed by the tobacco-free policy; how employees, patients and visitors will be educated and informed about the tobacco-free policy; who is responsible for enforcing the tobacco-free policy and how the tobacco-free policy will be enforced; how the hospital will address an employee’s, patient’s or visitor’s failure to comply with the tobacco-free policy ... .”’

Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services[[In-content Ad]]