Sentara Williamsburg campus is going tobacco free Marking the Great American Smokeout with promotion of health

Call it advance warning. Signs were installed throughout the Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center campus last week to effectively announce plans to make the entire campus tobacco free on November 20, 2008. As the country marks the Great American Smokeout in November of this year, Sentara will mark the occasion locally by encouraging its staff, patients and visitors to “Live the Mission: Be Tobacco Free.”
In support of Sentara’s mission to improve health every day and a growing trend toward limiting the use of tobacco products, numerous Sentara locations are gearing up to become tobacco free environments during 2008. This movement began about one year ago as several Sentara Virginia Beach campuses made the pledge and subsequently implemented tobacco free policies on January 1, 2008. Several other campuses on the south side will become tobacco free this summer and many others have decided to celebrate the Great American Smokeout by becoming tobacco free.
The goal of the tobacco free effort is to provide a healthier environment by promoting tobacco cessation and eliminating the effects of second-hand smoke. Tobacco-free means that no smoking or tobacco products will be permitted anywhere on the campus, buildings or parking lot.
Announcing plans in June allows the employees and members of the community time to prepare for the changes to come this fall. Sentara will conduct a series of smoking cessation workshops to help employees, their families and community members quit tobacco use prior to implementation of the tobacco free initiative on the Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center campus.

A focus on Sentara’s Mission
- We Improve Health Every Day -
Hospitals see the effects of tobacco every day in heart disease, respiratory ailments and numerous types of cancer. Tobacco, smoked or spit, is a significant cause of preventable disease.
“It makes perfect sense for hospitals to ban all forms of tobacco,” says Bob Graves, vice president and administrator of Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center. “The most significant thing we can do to improve health is to create an environment that encourages people to stop using tobacco.”
The Tobacco Free initiative better aligns the organization’s actions with Sentara’s mission statement; “We Improve Health Every Day.”
“As health care professionals, we are committed to walking the talk,” adds Graves.

Diplomacy, education to be the focus
“This isn’t about punishing or embarrassing tobacco users,” says Graves. “This is a positive demonstration of concern for the health of everyone using our campus.”
Smokers will be asked, politely, to put out all smoking materials on the campus, including in parked cars. Those chewing tobacco or pinching snuff will be asked to dispose of it. Nicotine replacement will be available for short-term use while visitors are on the campus. Educational materials and tobacco cessation information will be offered.