For Physicians and Employees
Tobacco Free in 2007
CMH Regional Health System, including Clinton Memorial Hospital and other CMH entities located in Wilmington, Blanchester, Sabina and Maineville, will join 20 other Greater Cincinnati hospitals and health systems and become tobacco-free in July 2007.
For years the use of tobacco has been prohibited inside hospitals, including Clinton Memorial Hospital. This new policy will extend to outdoor property owned or leased by CMH. All forms of tobacco will be prohibited, including smokeless, and the new policy will apply to everyone: staff, patients, visitors, guests, vendors, volunteers, contractual workers and the general public.
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Read our "Are You Ready to Quit Smoking?" article. |
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Read our "Are You Ready For a Change?" article. |
CMH’s Foster J. Boyd, MD, Regional Cancer Center, under construction now in Wilmington, will open as a tobacco-free facility and campus in February 2007. The CMH Board of Trustees approved the following resolution at its regular August meeting:
“Whereas, CMH Regional Health System (the “Corporation”) is working in collaboration with the Greater Cincinnati Health Council and other hospitals/health systems in the Greater Cincinnati area to implement a tobacco-free campus, which will enhance the health of our community. Now therefore, be it resolved, that the Corporation will cause for its hospital/health system campus and any additional owned/leased property to be tobacco-free effective July 1, 2007.”
The Greater Cincinnati Health Council works in harmony with Tristate hospitals and other health providers to promote high quality, cost-effective health care in the community. Since 1957, the council has represented hospitals in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana. The council is a recognized resource for information about area hospitals and the complex issues facing the health care industry.
In addition to Clinton Memorial Hospital and the Foster J. Boyd, MD, Regional Cancer Center, the other CMH facilities impacted by this ban will be:
- Rombach Health Center, Wilmington
- 761 Nelson Avenue, Wilmington (including Community Health Services and Home Care Services)
- CMH Family Health Center/Family Medicine Residency, Wilmington
- CMH River’s Bend Health Center, Maineville
- Blanchester Medical Services
- Sabina Health Center/East Clinton Medical Services
- CMH Pediatric and Adolescent Services, Wilmington
- CMH Neurological Services, Wilmington
“This policy is important because it protects people from the harmful effects of tobacco and second-hand smoke. It is especially significant for hospitals to be involved in tobacco cessation efforts, because of the direct correlation it has with improving health outcomes,” says Colleen Allen, Greater Cincinnati Health Council tobacco-free hospital campus project coordinator. “Clinton Memorial Hospital and the other hospitals involved are making this change voluntarily. They understand that as leaders in health care, they must work proactively to reduce adverse health risks.”
CMH joins an effort, coordinated on behalf of members of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council, which hopes to improve the health status of area residents by eliminating the detrimental health effects of second-hand smoke on their campuses.
Hospitals will continue to offer cessation programs. Additional information on cessation programs throughout Greater Cincinnati is available by contacting Colleen Allen at the Greater Cincinnati Health Council (513-531-0267).
Tobacco-free policies provide a healthy environment for everyone involved with hospital care. Studies show that it is also more likely that a person will have a successful quit attempt if their employer enacts a tobacco-free policy. A tobacco-free workplace is consistent with the mission of all healthcare institutions in that it works to improve the overall health of the community that it serves.
It is especially important for hospitals to promote tobacco-free campuses since tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, tobacco use contributes to the leading causes of death, patients who smoke regularly before surgery have twice the risk of wound infection, smoking retards wound healing, a smoker’s bones take nearly twice as long to heal as a non-smoker’s, secondhand smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals of which 50 are known carcinogens, among other reasons.
On January 1, 2007, 20 hospitals in the Greater Cincinnati area – including Southeastern Indiana and Northern Kentucky – will no longer allow tobacco use outside on their property. Seven months later, CMH will become the 21st hospital to take part in this initiative.
The 20 other Greater Cincinnati hospitals and health systems that have committed to implement a tobacco-free policy include:
- Adams County Hospital (beginning this month)
- Brown County Regional HealthCare
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Dearborn County Hospital
- The Christ Hospital
- Drake Center
- The Fort Hamilton Hospital
- The Jewish Hospital
- The University Hospital
- Margaret Mary Community Hospital
- McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital
- Mercy Health Partners of Southwest Ohio
- Mercy Hospital Anderson
- Mercy Hospital Clermont
- Mercy Hospital Fairfield
- Mercy Hospital Mt. Airy
- Mercy Hospital Western Hills
- Middletown Regional Hospital
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, Cincinnati Burns Hospital
- TriHealth
- Bethesda North Hospital
- Good Samaritan Hospital
