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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

J. Gary Wheeler, MD¹, LeaVonne Pulley, PhD², Holly C. Felix, PhD², Zoran Bursac, PhD², Nadia Siddiqui, MPH², M. Kate Stewart, MD, MPH², Glen Mays, PhD², C. Heath Gauss, MS², and Jan Richter, EdD². (1) Colleges of Medince and Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences & Arkansas Children's Hospital, 4301 West Markham, ACH Sturgis Building , Slot 512-11, Little Rock, AR 72205, (2) College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Slot 820, Little Rock, AR 72205, 501-526-6626, felixholly@uams.edu

Although the health and economic impact of tobacco use and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been well documented, concerns about the impact of such policies on the recruitment and retention of health care workers and consumer use and satisfaction with medical facilities has slowed efforts by the US healthcare system to implement tobacco control policies. In 2004, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), the only academic medical center in Arkansas, became the first hospital (and first state agency) to implement a policy banning smoking on the grounds of all of its facilities. The affiliated Arkansas Children's Hospital soon followed. These actions served as an example for the Arkansas legislature when its members passed a law in 2005 banning smoking on the grounds of all non-federal medical (except psychiatric) facilities in the state (making Arkansas the first state to pass such a law). An evaluation of the smoke-free policies at UAMS and ACH, utilizing pre/post surveys, focus groups, and administrative records, found highly favorable attitudes towards the policy among employees; positive impact from the policy on tobacco use, with employee tobacco consumption down and cessation rates up; and no impact on employee turn-over or hospital occupancy rates. The smoke-free policies and the evaluation methods and results will be presented in detail, and should provide evidence to reduce concerns of health institution administrators over possible negative impacts on employee and/or consumer behavior associated with smoke-free hospital campus policies.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) will be able to

• Identify issues affecting the adoption of smoke-free hospital campus policies;
• Describe the smoke-free hospital campus policies and efforts to evaluate them; and,
• Understand the impact of the smoke-free campus policies on employee and consumer behavior.

Keywords: Tobacco Policy, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.ppt format, 71.0 kb)