|
Lee Memorial Health System will be a tobacco free organization
beginning in November. The new “Tobacco Free Lee” will launch Nov.
19, the same day as the Great American Smoke Out.
The LMHS Board of Directors formally accepted March 5 a plan that
will prohibit all forms of tobacco, including cigarettes and
smokeless tobacco, on LMHS properties, including rentals.
The move toward becoming a tobacco free organization will take place
in three stages, says Jon Cecil, Chief Human Resources Officer who
is spearheading the project. “We know that this may be difficult for
employees who use tobacco, as well as patients and visitors. We are
going to make changes slowly and provide all the help and support we
can in a caring and compassionate manner. We have two excellent
chairpersons for the project, Brad Pollins and Joan Carroll, who are
leading a comprehensive group of committees to design and plan a
successful program. This is a very complex process, as we have
learned from other health care organizations, and we want to take
time, obtain considerable input from staff and physicians and phase
in the program to ensure we do this the right way,” says Jon.
Several hospitals in the state, such as Florida Hospital in Orlando,
have already gone tobacco free. In fact, more than 1,082 hospitals
and health systems in the U.S. have already decided to go tobacco
free. The LMHS project team is doing a lot of research to decide the
best way to implement the new policy, as well as working with other
organizations and businesses in the region that are also interested
in going tobacco free. The project team plans to offer as many
smoking cessation options as possible.
Lee Memorial Health System is taking the first step toward becoming
tobacco free.
Effective June 19, the smoking areas at each facility will change.
Please
click here
to see the maps and learn more about this
exciting change.
|
