 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Julie Osgood, MS, Clinical Integration Division, MaineHealth, 241 Oxford Street, Portland, ME 04101, 2075417515, osgooj1@mmc.org
Tobacco is the leading avoidable cause of death and illness today. Maine has one of the highest smoking rates of any non-tobacco producing state in the country. In addition to the financial burdens, employers are faced with decreased productivity and increased absenteeism, healthcare, and life insurance costs. Increasingly, employers are seeking innovative and effective work site programs to limit these costs. This report describes a large health system's approach to dealing with tobacco among its employee population. The integrated healthcare delivery system in the rural state of Maine (including nine hospitals, a physician-hospital organization, a medical laboratory, and home care agency) achieved four major objectives related to tobacco: awareness; treatment; training; policy. Outcomes of the program include the creation of a model tobacco treatment benefit for employees, a manual to help healthcare organizations become tobacco free, and an increase in the number of employees accessing treatment for tobacco use. In addition, 100% of the hospitals successfully implemented tobacco-free campus policies, including an inpatient psychiatric hospital.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Tobacco Control, Torture
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.