Hospital going tobacco-free in 2009

Lifestyles

December 22, 2008

Anonymous The Crossville Chronicle Mon Dec 22, 2008, 01:03 PM CST

Cumberland Medical Center is joining hospitals across the state and the nation in an initiative that bans smoking and the use of tobacco products on its hospital campus for all its employees effective Thursday, Jan. 1. The new initiative and policy includes all areas of CMC’s campus, parking lots, and its off-site facilities.

“We are offering our employees smoking cessation classes during several different shifts, and have also offered other nicotine replacement aids through our employee health department with counseling by Dr. Barry Wagner, the chief medical officer at Cumberland Medical Center,” said Ed Anderson, president/CEO, Cumberland Medical Center.

While admitting that this new policy will be a major adjustment for some employees in the New Year, officials at CMC say it is the right thing to do for the public’s health. COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is the fourth leading cause of death in the world, and the number one contributing factor to COPD is smoking. Additionally, tobacco use is one of Tennessee’s biggest health concerns and is the most preventable cause of health problems. So banning the use of tobacco for employees who work at a facility dedicated to preserving and restoring people’s health makes perfect sense.

“We hope that patients and visitors will see the examples that our employees have set and will follow their lead,” said Julie V. Thompson, director of Marketing/Public Relations at Cumberland Medical Center. “We have several employees that say this new 'No Smoking' policy was the catalyst they needed to quit,” Thompson added.

“Staying or becoming tobacco-free is the best solution for a person’s health and promotes living longer,” said Dr. Barry Wagner, chief medical officer, Cumberland Medical Center. “Quitting is tough, but it is not impossible. We are making sure that we have several different options available to those employees who do smoke to give them the opportunity to quit smoking for their better health.”

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