NC Prevention Partners' first Jim Long Policy Fellow is working to amend a federal law that would allow Veteran's Affairs medical centers to become 100% tobacco free campuses.

Eight representatives from the Virginia based hospital system toured Rex Healthcare's wellness facility and cafeteria.

Congratulations to Vidant Health System for earning the Gold Star in all its hospitals! Several Vidant Health System hospitals also received Gold Apple status.

Melva Fager Okun, Senior Program Manager at NC Prevention Partners, presented to physician groups at Wake Forest Baptist Health and Duke University Medical Center, and Carolinas Center of Medical Education. Picture L-R: Antonio Gutierrez, MD in charge of Duke Univ. Hospital Medicine Grand Round; Melva Fager Okun DrPH; Jeffrey Engel MPH; & Roy Pleasants PharmD,

 Training will take place June 4-7 at the Embassy Suites Raleigh Durham RTP.

Congratulations to Durham Regional Hospital for meeting all the requirements for Gold Star status!

Donna Borowski, Certified Intrinsic Coach from Mission Hospital in Asheville, will be our guest presenter.

Stanly Regional Medical Center is the latest NC hospital to meet all the requirements of a comprehensive tobacco cessation program for employees.

The ads use nursey rhymes to convey the message that secondhand smoke does not belong in a child's life.

As the first hospital to join the NYC Tobacco-Free Hospitals Campaign, as well as to achieve Bronze Star status, NYU Langone Medical Center is leading the way to help its employee and patient community quit tobacco and set an example for other New York City hospitals.

Following a celebration for winning the January Quitline Challenge, Wake Forest Baptist Health clinical leaders gathered for the first meeting of the WFBH Quit-Tobacco for Patients Committee.

NC Prevention Partners' Senior Program Manager, Dr. Melva Fager Okun, talks about North Carolina's tobacco cessation efforts in hospitals in a podcast by ActionToQuit.

You’ve done tremendous work to change your policies, rework your food environment, add new benefits, but maybe you feel like your employees are not engaged in wellness. Sometimes the solution is simple. . . .

NC Prevention Partners is proud to introduce Danielle Schramm as the first Jim Long Policy Fellow.

Dr. Erik Augustson, behavioral scientist at the Tobacco Control Research Branch of the National Cancer Institute will be a guest presenter.

Each month NC Prevention Partners sends the fax referral report from QuitlineNC to subscribers.

The Tobacco Cessation Coding and Reimbursement tool allows healthcare providers to see which health insurance plans reimburse for tobacco cessation counseling.

Dr. Melva Fager Okun presented the 5 Key Components of a Quit Tobacco System for Patients.

The report finds that tobacco marketing is a key factor in influencing young people to start using tobacco, and nicotine addiction keeps them using it.

Dr. Melva Fager Okun and Heather Berdanier traveled to Campbell University today to train physician assistant students to provide counseling and treatment for tobacco using patients.

On March 21st from 1-2 p.m., NC Prevention Partners will host Developing a Robust Tobacco Cessation Program for Patients with special guest presenters from two North Carolina Hospitals.

 We know that offering employees the highest quality of preventive care leads to improved health. But how can you work effectively with your insurers to make sure you’re benefits package meets the real needs of your employees?

Every June, NC Prevention Partners celebrates another amazing year of prevention at our Annual Meeting, celebrating the organizations across the state who have put prevention first, whether they are schools, hospitals, state agencies or private businesses. This year we want to celebrate YOUR progress with our Trailblazer and Gold Awards for WorkHealthy America participants. 

UNC Hospital is the sixth North Carolina Hospital to earn the Gold Heart for excellence in tobacco cessation programs for patients.

Going for Gold: How to Create a Comprehensive Quit Tobacco System for Employees webinar is now available in NC Prevention Partners' webinar archives.

NC Prevention Partners has announced the winners of the January Quitline Champion Challenge.

The Quit Tobacco for Employees initiative assists NC hospitals in developing comprehensive tobacco cessation programs that help employees in quitting tobacco use.

  What a year of training we have for you!

 Thank you to the more than fifty hospitals in NC who have opted to renew their license to WorkHealthy America^SM! Starting in July, 2012, WorkHealthy America^SM will also map the progress of all subscribers, including state and local governments, schools, non-profits and private businesses.  Are you ready for the map? 

 In case you were unable to listen live on January 24th, click here to watch the webinar, Understanding the Joint Commission's New Tobacco Use Measure Set.

This webinar will focus on the requirements needed for hospitals to earn recognition for having a comprehensive Quit Tobacco System for Employees. 

Research studies have shown that cessation medications properly taken can double a person’s chances of successfully quitting.

Members of NC Prevention Partners' Quit Tobacco team award Duke University Hospital with a gourmet fruit basket for having the highest percentage of accepted calls during the month of November.

Join NC Prevention Partners on January 24th from 1-2 p.m. EST for Understanding the Joint Commission's New Tobacco Measure Set.

Pregnant women will now receive 10 calls from QuitlineNC when they enroll in services.

The journal article found that if physicians talk to smokers about quitting, up to 35%  may make a quit attempt. 

23 1/2 hours talks about how 30 minutes of exercise will improve health and reduce risk of disease.

We have mapped hospital progress for five years, showing where hospitals are in their efforts to get A’s in Tobacco or Nutrition. We recently updated and automated those maps, and are now beginning the same initiative with all businesses in WorkHealthy America. In July, 2012, we will launch these NEW WorkHealthy maps, and recognize your success and progress. 

New services became available January 1st through QuitlineNC including free nicotine replacement therapy and web coaching.

Revised Tobacco-free assessment now available!

NC Prevention Partners has new recognition maps for NC hospitals excelling in wellness programs.

 by Anne Thornhill

Every day NC Prevention Partners is changing lives. WorkHealthy America is an integral part of helping us to meet our mission. We are grateful to you for your commitment to the wellness of your employees. Many of you are part of this community of learning through the generosity of sponsors.  If you would like to consider giving back and helping us to continue to work with others to push the highest bar of health and wellness. . . 

 by Anne Thornhill

This is a time of year for looking back on the year past, celebrating our accomplishments, and planning for the year moving forward. And setting resolutions, of course 

 by Anne Thornhill

The holidays are a time when wellness takes a backseat to celebrations and decadence. 

NC Prevention Partners has identified three NC hospitals that offer the best tobacco cessation benefits and incentives to help their employees quit.

The new service from the National Cancer Institute sends texts to encourage teens and young adults to stay quit.

FirstHealth Montgomery is the 3rd hospital in FirstHealth of the Carolina's health system to earn Gold Heart status.

CaroMont Health recognized by the North Carolina Alliance for Healthy Communities (NCAHC) with the 2011 Eagle Award.

Dr. Okun, adjunct faculty at the Department of Human Behavior and Health Education, presented to the second year cohort HBHE graduate students.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham is the most recent hospital to achieve the requirements for a comprehensive Quit-Tobacco system for patients.

Congratulations to FirstHealth Moore Regional and Richmond Memorial Hospitals who have earned Gold Heart status! The hospitals have met all the requirements of a comprehensive Quit Tobacco system for patients.

Next in NC Prevention Partners' series of Quit Tobacco webinars is Preparing for January, Cessation Month: Using the Fax Referral to Link Patients and Employees to QuitlineNC.

Dr. Melva Fager Okun presented at second TALK Conference this month in Wilmington, NC.

Pictured are Sally Herndon, Kurt Ribisl, and Melva Fager Okun.

WFBH broke the all time record for all NC hospitals by submitting 144 fax referrals in September.

Pictured is Lynn Black, Wellness Manager, Wake Forest Baptist Health

 We are planning for 2012 and we need your input-- what types of web-based trainings do you want? Share your thoughts!

 WorkHealthy subscriber JPS is recognized as one of 2011 Best Accounting Firms to Work for. Think it has anything to do with their stellar wellness environment?

Healthcare providers, community leaders, and public health professionals were in attendance to learn more about recent research in tobacco control and policy and lung cancer screening.

The 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the 1199SEIU National Benefit Fund, the League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes of New York, and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are working together for a healthier workforce!

NYU Langone Medical Center (NYULMC) was the first hospital in New York City to join the Tobacco-Free Hospital Campaign.  As a world-class, patient-centered, integrated medical center, NYULMC has long advocated for policies that foster a tobacco-free environment.

On Tuesday, October 25th, NC Prevention Partners' Hospital Advisory Team met at the North Carolina Hospital Association in Cary. Administrators and staff from hospitals and other public health leaders gathered to hear about the recent successes of NC Prevention Partners.

Dr. Greg Miller, Medical Director of Adult Services at New York State Office of Mental Health was the guest presenter.

Heather Mountz, Quit Tobacco Coordinator, traveled to Carteret General Hospital recently to congratulate them on being North Carolina's first Red Heart hospital, meeting the highest recommendations for treating tobacco dependent inpatients.

November's Mini-Quitline Champion Challenge will award the hospital sending fax referrals to QuitlineNC that result in the highest percentage of accepted calls.

Representing North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Patricia Folan and Christine Fardellone visited with NC Prevention Partners' Quit Tobacco team in Chapel Hill recently. North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System is one of 19 Centers for Tobacco Control in New York.

Senior Program Manager, Melva Fager Okun, has been tweeting since July about NC Prevention Partners' work in North Carolina hospitals.

Christus St. Francis Cabrini Hospital in Louisiana will implement the new policy July 1, 2012.

South East Area Health Education Center, Mountain Area Health Education Center, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences (NC TraCS) Institute are partnering to bring the academies to Asheville and Wilmington in November.

 The assessment function of WorkHealthy America is the best way to get the most tailored and focused recommendations to help your organization promote the healthiest employees. 

A study out of USC found those successful at quitting were most pleased by the sense of community felt by using online resources.

Congratulations to Caldwell Memorial Hospital who earned the Gold Star on September 20, 2011!

During the months of October and November, NC Prevention Partners will hold webinars every Tuesday from 1-2 p.m. EST that will provide a general overview about the new Patient Quit Tobacco System.

Please make plans to join us for this special webinar, rescheduled from August. Dr. Gregory Miller will join us as our guest presenter.

Dr. Okun joined national and local experts at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville on Friday, September 23rd. Physicians, physican assistants, nurse practitioners, and other health professionals gathered to learn more about how to optimize care for COPD patients.

Mission Hospital, Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, Broughton Hospital, Wake Forest Baptist Health, and Palmetto Health all convened at NC Prevention Partners' Prevention Academy in Asheville on September 22nd.

On Wednesday, September 21st, NC Prevention Partners staff traveled to Broughton Hospital in Morganton, to meet with CEO Thomas Mahle, and several wellness staff members.

Congratulations to Carteret General Hospital (CGH)! CGH is the first hospital in North Carolina to earn the Red Heart award from NC Prevention Partners!

Pictured from L-R: Liz Jones-Dern, Administrative Assistant; Elaine Keating, RN, Wellness Nurse; Val Russell, RN, Wellness Nurse.

Increasing visibility of tobacco-free property signs is just one way Duke Raleigh made improvements to their Quit-Tobacco system for employees.

On this exclusive webinar, NC Prevention Partners will introduce the new Patient Quit Tobacco System (PQTS) for North Carolina and New York City hospitals. Participants will have the opportunity to complete the PQTS the day of the webinar.

Laurens County Health Care System is 1st to complete all requirements for the Gold Star.

New tool will assist hospitals in developing comprehensive tobacco cessation programs for patients.

Broughton Hospital is the first psychiatric hospital in North Carolina to meet all Gold Star requirements.

Get hands-on experience working in public health!

The Patient Quit Tobacco System assessment tool grades hospital tobacco cessation programs and proves recommendations for improvement.

NC Hospitals will compete during September in the Get Started! Challenge, a mini-Quitline Champion Challenge.

New archived presentation details how organizations can establish Quit-Tobacco systems for employees.

Melva talks about cigarette tax and new warning labels on cigarettes in this recent radio interview.

Congratulations to Southeastern Regional Medical Center for being the 27th hospital in North Carolina to earn Gold Star status for excellent tobacco cessation programs for employees.

The HIT and Meaningful Use webinar featuring Michael Pierson from CMS and Mark Bell from NCHA is now available online.

The Medical Director for Adult Services at the New York State Office of Mental Health will be our special presenter.

UNC Department of Family Medicine’s Nicotine Dependence Program (NDP) and Tobacco Free Tar Heels program provide tobacco cessation to patients and employees respectively.

We welcome Michael Pierson from the CDC and Mark Bell from the North Carolina Hospital Association as presenters.

Senior Health Promotion Manager,  Melva Fager Okun, talks to WRAL about the new FDA health warning labels on cigarette packages.

NC Prevention Partners staff members met with the Director of Food and Nutrition this morning at the kick-off event at Carolinas Medical Center-Union.

FirstHealth is helping visitors and employees comply with the tobacco free campus policy by offering free NRT gum.

Today, Friday, July 1^st, marks the start of a new Quitline Champion Challenge year, so start sending in your fax referrals! 

At Grace Hospital, SC hospital representatives saw how offering healthy options can increase sales in the cafeteria.

WNC Hospital Trip with South Carolina hospital representatives and Working Well SC stop at Caldwell Memorial Hospital.

NC Prevention Partners, along with the Working Well SC staff, are touring Ashe Memorial Hospital, Caldwell Memorial Hospital and Grace Hospital today to give South Carolina hospital representatives a glimpse of the Gold Star and Red Apple initiatives in action.

Add this webinar to your calendar to learn more about health information technology, Meaningful Use, and how these relate to screening patients for tobacco use. 

Recommendations were made to include the Joint Commission measure set for tobacco use among the current Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems (IPPS) rule.

Several North Carolina Hospitals received awards Wednesday, June 8th at the Carolina Club in Chapel Hill from NC Prevention Partners.

Join NC Prevention Partners to learn how to incorporate the use of the fax referral to QuitlineNC to refer employees and patients to evidence-based quit coaching.

Guest speakers include Chief of Police at UNC Hospitals, Tom Smith, and Vice President of Human Resources at Greenville Health System, Doug Dorman.

Wake Forest Baptist Health led all NC hospitals in referrals in the past year.

Rex is the first hospital in Raleigh to earn Gold Star recognition.