NYC Tobacco-Free Hospitals Campaign: Increasing Cessation Services at Hospitals

Audience:

Health Department staff, hospital administrators, employers, patient care and quality improvement staff

Key Points:

Health departments can partner with public and private hospitals to create comprehensive tobacco-free environments. Systems can be established to support cessation services at hospitals, which result in improved employee health and productivity.  Changes in patient care, in compliance with Meaningful Use, Joint Commission and other quality measures can promote improved health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Establishing methods for sharing best practices and for benchmarking performance against other healthcare facilities can support creation and maintenance of comprehensive cessation programs.

Educational Experience:

Attendees will:

• Describe lessons learned from working with NYC hospitals.
• Identify evidence-based practices to improve environmental policies, employee wellness and patient care.
• Review the need for partnerships with local healthcare unions and private insurers.
• Identify promising practices for developing comprehensive cessation services for employees, patients and visitors.

Benefits:

Attendees will gain strategies for improving tobacco-free policies in healthcare settings and will find out how various hospitals worked to improve their systems. And, they will learn how they can implement programs targeting hospitals in their city or municipality.