Capital Medical Center

Capital Medical Center, Providence St. Peter Hospital, Providence Centralia Hospital and the Providence Physician Network are joining forces to make all of their campuses, inside and out, “Tobacco Free” beginning August 2, 2010.

Medrice Coluccio, Chief Executive, Providence Health & Services in Southwest Washington, and Joe Sharp, CEO, Capital Medical Center, made a joint announcement to their employees and the community this week. The goal of the new policy is to improve the healing and working environment for patients, visitors and staff.

Coluccio said, “All of our hospitals and clinics are committed to improving community health and we are delighted to partner with Capital Medical Center on this project.”

Sharp added, “This is a great way for our organizations to work together to improve community health. We all know that smoking is the number one cause of preventable deaths and illnesses in this country. It just doesn’t make sense to compromise on this issue.”

Capital Medical Center and Providence facilities have enforced no smoking policies within their buildings for years. This change extends the prohibition of all tobacco to all outdoor areas as well. That means an elimination of designated outdoor smoking areas for patients, visitors, employees, vendors and anyone else on hospital or clinic properties.

Both Coluccio and Sharp acknowledge how difficult it can be to kick an addiction. They plan to leverage their joint resources to offer smoking cessation and other support to smokers who want to quit before the August deadline. Help for the community is available through the Tobacco Quit Line Web site at http://www.quitline.com or by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW. Callers can speak with a quit coach who will provide one-on-one counseling and help create a customized quit plan.

Coluccio said, “I really hope that people will take advantage of this opportunity to improve their health. We have a set a deadline. We are offering support. There is no time like the present!”

Sharp added, “We believe by working together, Capital and Providence can create healthier communities, reduce health care costs and improve productivity in the workplace by offering a tobacco-free hospital and clinic environment.”