Healthy Hospital Initiative

NC Prevention Partners’ Healthy Hospital Initiative (HHI) helps hospital leaders and staff create environments and policies that support healthy behaviors among hospital employees, patients, and visitors. The initiative offers assistance and methods to support tobacco cessation, physical activity, and healthy eating.

Hospital representatives from Catawba County and surrounding counties

Currently, NC Prevention Partners (NCPP) is providing assistance to many hospitals throughout the state in the enactment of 100% tobacco-free campus wide policies. Through the initiative, hospitals are learning from each other’s experiences and finding support for implementing such a policy.

The momentum of the 100% tobacco-free campus wide movement in NC hospitals has increased dramatically since the first hospital—Pardee Hospital in Henderson County—went 100% tobacco-free campus wide in 2003.

Today—only 2.5 years later—38 hospitals (about 1/3 of all hospitals in the state) have passed a 100% tobacco-free campus wide policy, and dozens more, including some of the largest healthcare systems in the state, are considering doing the same. These 38 hospitals, sentinels of good health, are role models for other state and national hospitals.

Why 100% Tobacco-free Campus Wide
To be certified by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), NC hospitals are required to be tobacco-free inside. However, unfortunately, there are no federal or state laws or special certification criteria requiring that all campus areas of hospitals, including sidewalks and parking decks, be tobacco-free areas.

The policy, “100% tobacco-free campus wide” makes public health sense and supports good patient care. Imagine a child with asthma having no alternative, but to walk through a cloud of cigarette smoke to enter the hospital; imagine a person with heart disease having to face second-hand smoke—a known risk factor for heart attacks¹; imagine the example being set when hospitals allow patients, employees, and visitors to use and be exposed to a cancer-causing substance on their campuses.

It’s clear that North Carolina needs 100% tobacco-free campus wide hospitals. First, tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure severely harm the health and the lives of North Carolinians. Tobacco use is the number one cause of premature death and disability in this state. In fact, an estimated 22% of adults in North Carolina use tobacco, which means nearly one in every four adult lives in this state, is being shortened by tobacco use.² And about 230 North Carolinians die each week from tobacco use³. Second, the need for 100% tobacco-free campus wide hospitals is evidenced by the exorbitantly high healthcare costs incurred from tobacco use and exposure. The annual economic cost of smoking is estimated to be $3,391 for each smoker⁴. Then, of course, there are the massive indirect costs associated with lost work days and decreased productivity due to tobacco-related illnesses.

North Carolina is a National Leader on Tobacco Policy
What’s especially interesting is that NC is a national leader on an important tobacco policy. NC’s activity on the 100% tobacco-free campus wide hospital policy has garnered attention from other states. In fact, NCPP’s Melva Fager Okun was recently invited by the Greater Cincinnati Health Council to present at a training workshop for over 80 hospital representatives from Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. A tobacco cessation specialist from Oregon has also recently contacted NCPP to learn more about how NC is making the 100% tobacco-free campus wide hospital movement happen.

While each hospital’s tobacco-free policy may differ, it is critical to the success of the policy that support from top management is obtained; a task force to oversee the policy implementation process is created; the policy is communicated via signage; and security personnel are trained to handle non-compliance.

Experiences of NC Hospitals
In general, hospitals have experienced a smooth implementation process, with little resistance from patients, employees, or visitors. Sue Cumpston, wellness coordinator at High Point Regional Health System says, “We have been very pleased at how smoothly our tobacco-free policy has been implemented. Since we issued the press release in March [of 2005], we have only had three negative emails to our web site, and no letters to the editor of our local paper. As a matter of fact, the local newspaper editor ran a very favorable editorial commending us for our move and asking why restaurants didn’t follow suit. The few smokers we’ve had to approach on our campus have given us little or no resistance.” According to Okun, many hospitals report similar experiences.

“Hospital leadership combined with the widespread interest in the support, education, and technical assistance provided through the Healthy Hospital Initiative indicate that North Carolina is on the verge of a tipping point in prevention for its hospitals,” says Okun. And she adds, she’s ready to help.

For more information about the Healthy Hospital Initiative, contact Melva Fager Okun, DrPH, 919.969.7022, ext. 3# / melva@ncpreventionpartners.org.

View a current listing of North Carolina's 100% tobacco-free campus wide hospitals.

1 National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov
2 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, 2004.
3 Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs (SAMMEC), 1997-2001.
4 Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs (SAMMEC), 2002.

Winner's Circle
We are pleased to share, that effective July 1, 2006, NC Prevention Partners (NCPP) will coordinate the NC Winner's Circle in Communities program. The NC Division of Public Health (NCDPH) is proud to continue its support and coordination of the NC Winner's Circle in Schools Program and continues to endorse and promote both the WC in Communities and Schools programs. Any questions regarding the transition can be forwarded to Meg van Staveren at megvs@ncpreventionpartners.org.

Prevention Rx
This spring, NC Prevention Partners is partnering with The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (CCME) to integrate new components into the Prevention Rx training workshops. A new section on electronic health records (EHRs) has been added highlighting the benefits of moving towards an electronic system. Participants receive information on how to convert from paper charts to electronic systems and integrate Prevention Rx into their office or clinic. They also learn about the DOQ-IT Project offered by CCME, a national initiative, promoting the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and Information Technology (IT) in physician offices. The next Prevention Rx workshop will be held in Asheville on May 24th, 2006. For more information, or to register, please contact Kristy at kristy@ncpreventionpartners.org.

Quit Now NC!
Quit Now NC! (QNNC!) staff members have been working with the Comprehensive Cancer Control Collaborative of NC (4CNC) on updating the state’s strategic plan for tobacco cessation. The QNNC! Scientific Advisory Team will meet on June 7th prior to NCPP’s annual meeting to discuss the strategic plan and implementation process. For more information, visit the recently updated QNNC! website: www.quitnownc.org.

Quit Now Win Now
The Quit Now Win Now project is in its final months of a three-year grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust (KBR). NCPP staff have spent the last few months conducting key informant interviews with staff and patients, collecting data, and preparing a final report for KBR.

Prevention 1st Challenge
A new contract with the Diabetes Prevention and Control Branch, NC Division of Public Health will enable NCPP to take the tools of the Challenge to businesses in Orange and Hertford Counties. NCPP staff will work with these businesses to establish policies and environments at the worksite that support the health of employees. In addition, Meg Molloy recently keynoted at two workshops about worksite wellness for businesses in Orange County.

Zone Health
The UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont hosted the National Walking Challenge April 24-30th with the goal of each participant reaching 70,000 steps. Participants in the Challenge received a pedometer and half of their entry fee was donated in support of the Zone Health program.

NCPP in the News
•Hospital, others going tobacco-free
Washington Daily News, Washington, NC

Check out our website!
We've made changes to our website. Some of the changes you will notice include an updated homepage and new quick links to frequently used resources. .

Annual Meeting Sponsorship
Sponsors are jumping on board for NCPP’s upcoming annual meeting, Reaching the Tipping Point for Prevention in NC, being held on June 7th. Sponsorship of the event provides excellent benefits for sponsors of all levels—from the Exhibitor-level up to the prestigious Diamond-level.

Sponsorship is a meaningful way to show your leadership in the field; help further the statewide prevention work of NC Prevention Partners; and be recognized by an expected 350 conference attendees that will include leaders and healthcare professionals from hospital, health insurance, public health, university, and community sectors.

We’d like to thank the following organizations that have chosen to support NC Prevention Partners by committing to sponsor or exhibit at this year’s annual meeting:

Prevention Champions
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation (BCBSNC Foundation)
The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (formerly Medical Review of North Carolina)

Leadership Circle
UNC Health Care and Rex Healthcare

Diamond-level Sponsor
NC Department of Insurance

Platinum-level Sponsor
Pfizer, Inc.

Silver-level Sponsor
American Heart Association
Robeson County Health Department

We also thank our current annual meeting exhibitors:

- beBetter Networks, Inc.
- People Designs
- Sanofi-Aventis
- NC Folic Acid Council

Learn more about the various annual meeting sponsorship levels and associated benefits.

Quit Now NC! Scientific Advisory Team Meeting Sponsorship
We thank our current sponsors:

Diamond-level Sponsor
Cancer Prevention and Control Branch, Division of Public Health, NC DHHS

Silver-level Sponsor
American Cancer Society

Independence Campaign Salute
NC Prevention Partners salutes Independence Campaign leaders, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence.

During the winter of 2004, NC Prevention Partners moved from the NC Institute of Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill into new quarters to become a fully-independent nonprofit. The transition was made possible by the organization’s three-year Independence Campaign (now nearing the end of its second year).

Leaders in the campaign are the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, with a challenge grant of $25,000 a year for three years (on a one-to-two match); and The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (formerly Medical Review of North Carolina, Inc.), which has generously provided half of this match by contributing $25,000 a year.

NC Prevention Partners salutes these leaders and all of the other generous Independence Campaign contributors.

Lincoln Community Health Center, First in Nation to Go 100% Tobacco-free Campus Wide
On July 4, 2006, Lincoln Community Health Center (LCHC) will become the first community health center in the nation to pass a 100% tobacco-free campus wide policy. The health center is located in Durham, NC—an area once a major hub in the tobacco industry. This new policy will positively affect the health of all LCHC patients, employees, and visitors by decreasing their exposure to second-hand smoke. In addition, tobacco-free policies, like this one, have been linked with increased quit attempts, improved employee morale, decreased absenteeism, and increased workplace productivity.

NC Prevention Partners, with a grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust (KBR), has worked closely with Lincoln’s staff for nearly three years to set up an effective and efficient tobacco cessation program for patients and employees. With this program in place, the health center is now prepared to implement the policy. Participants receive on-site counseling from a healthcare provider and a pharmacist, and are also strongly encouraged to call the new state quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). Grant funding has also enabled Lincoln to offer no-cost nicotine replacement therapies and cessation medications to those participating in the program.

With passing a tobacco-free policy, it is critical that quitting resources, like those mentioned above, are made available prior to policy implementation and that employees understand the reason for the policy.

We congratulate Lincoln Community Health Center for being a leader in making their community a healthier one!

2006 Annual Meeting: Reaching the Tipping Point for Prevention in NC
Join keynote speakers, Dr. Barbara Rimer, Dean of the UNC School of Public Health, and Chris Fitzsimon of NC Policy Watch at this year’s meeting on Wednesday, June 7th from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Friday Conference Center in Chapel Hill. Also at the meeting, help us congratulate the 2006 NC Prevention Award winners to be presented by 1360 WCHL host Ron Stutts and NC Child Nutrition Director, Lynn Hoggard. The meeting is less than one month away!
• Register on-line
• Download Registration Form (pdf)
• Sponsor the annual meeting

Prevention Rx Spring Workshop
The last spring 2006 Prevention Rx workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, May 24th in Asheville, NC. Take advantage of this great opportunity to learn how to set up a comprehensive Prevention Rx system at your clinic or hospital to address nutrition, physical activity, and quitting tobacco with your patients.

Contact Kristy A. Lowther to see if there are any registration slots available or for more information.

Quit Now NC! Scientific Advisory Team Meeting
The Quit Now NC! Scientific Advisory Team (SAT) will meet for a working luncheon meeting to discuss the strategic plan for NC tobacco cessation initiatives on Wednesday, June 7th from 10:30 to 12:30 p.m. at the Friday Conference Center in Chapel Hill.
SAT Members, please RSVP to Melva Fager Okun.

Upcoming NC Prevention Partners Board of Directors Meeting
The next Board of Directors meeting will be on July 19th from 9:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the VilCom boardroom at NC Prevention Partners' offices.

Physical Activity, Tobacco, and Nutrition
•Making Multiple Lifestyle Changes is Beneficial, Achievable in Lowering High Blood Pressure
National Institutes of Health, 4/3/06
•US Surgeon General Carmona to Address First International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health (CDC Media Advisory)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
•Lifestyle Changes Can Help Older Hispanics Manage Diabetes
National Institutes of Healh, 4/18/06
•Smoking, Obesity Pose Risks For 80 Million Americans
Yahoo News, 5/11/06

General Prevention
•CDC Releases National Recommendations to Improve Health of Babies and Moms
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4/20/06

Worksite Wellness
•The ROI Of Wellness
Forbes.com, 4/24/06

Resources & Initiatives
•Children and Healthy Choices: "50 Schools in 50 States" Initiative
US Surgeon General
•Knowledge Path: Spanish-Language Health Resources
"...compiled by the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Library at Georgetown University. This resource points to recent, high-quality Spanish-language health resources for health professionals and consumers." 2/2006

PreventionWorks
Jennifer Hastings Prevention & Communications Manager, Editor

Staff Contributors
Meg Molloy Executive Director
Beverly Biggs Director of Development
Kristy Lowther Prevention Rx Coordinator
Melva Fager Okun Quit Now NC! Manager & NCPP Intern Coordinator
Meg van Staveren Winner's Circle & Zone Health Manager