08/20/2007

Volunteer Community Hospital to Become a Smoke Free Campus


August 20, 2007 - On November 16, 2007, in coordination with state regulations, other hospitals and the Great American Smoke Out, Volunteer Community Hospital (VCH) and Martin Specialty Clinic (MSC) will both become “Smoke Free Facilities and Campuses”.

As health care organizations, VCH and MSC have a responsibility and are committed to maintaining a healthy environment for the health of all employees, medical staff, students, patients, volunteers and visitors; therefore, smoking will be prohibited on all VCH and MSC grounds and buildings.

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in this country. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) more than 440,000 people die prematurely each year from tobacco related diseases. This is more that alcohol, cocaine, crack, heroin, homicide, suicide, car crashes, fires and AIDS combined. In addition, nonsmokers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) have higher death rates from cardiovascular disease than non-smokers who are not exposed to ETS. Tobacco use is a factor in heart disease, cancer, stroke and lung disease. It costs the U.S. approximately $150 billion each year in healthcare and lost productivity. In addition, patients who use tobacco regularly before surgery have twice the risk of wound infection as non-smokers.

VCH CEO, Steve Westenhofer says, “We know from the CDC data that 1 in 5 deaths are related to tobacco. Everyday we see the harmful effects of tobacco use on our patients. As a healthcare provider, we believe that it is important to model healthy behaviors and eliminate ‘triggers’, like smoking areas that make smoking cessation difficult. To maintain these areas is to give approval of smoking, which is not the message we want to send. Many other Tennessee hospitals are going to smoke free campuses at this time.”

VCH will begin now to inform patients and visitors with new signage posted at all entrances of the building. Upon registration, patients will be informed of the smoke free environment and will receive the VCH smoke-free position statement. VCH is also providing employees smoking cessation information that provides a variety of resources. For more information about the VCH Smoke Free Campus call 587-4261.