Birmingham, AL…Brookwood Medical Center announced today that it will become a smoke-free campus on January 1, 2003. This new policy will apply to everyone visiting all hospital buildings and physician offices.

"We are excited about this change," says Garry Gause, chief executive officer for Brookwood. "We believe it is our responsibility to be a leader in the community, promoting wellness and a healthier environment for everyone who visits our hospital campus."

Neeysa Biddle, Brookwood's chief operating officer, is a member of the hospital committee who put the plan together. "A lot of research and work went into the planning for this change. We surveyed our physicians. We held focus groups with our employees, and for the most part, we found whole-hearted enthusiasm. It makes sense once you think about it; a community hospital like Brookwood should be one of the first places to implement a smoke-free campus plan. We should lead by example."

Visitors to the hospital campus will be asked to smoke in designated sections of the visitors' parking decks. While this provides guests with an area to smoke, it will also eliminate smoking around all of the entrances to the facility.

Sue Esleck, Brookwood's vice president of quality and resource management, is also a committee member. "After analyzing our particular situation, we saw that most of our entrances are just a few yards from one another. For example, we have expectant mothers using an entrance just a few steps away from the main entrances to our med/surg lobby and outpatient surgery areas. Identifying a location for smoking visitors which did not infringe on the health of other visitors and patients was obviously very important."

Brookwood employees who smoke are being encouraged to give up the habit. Stop-Smoking packets are being given to all interested employees, and include educational materials and coupons for smoking cessation aids. Video and audio cassettes on relaxation techniques, stress relief, and quitting smoking are being made available for employees to check out and take home with them.

Brookwood is also encouraging their employees to support each other through a new "Stop-Smoking Buddy" program. Brookwood's Smoking Cessation nurse specialist is currently training non-smoking employees to act as personal counselors for the smoking co-workers interested in giving up cigarettes.

"We believe that one-on-one support is one of the best ways to achieve success," says Marie Hazlett, Brookwood's smoking cessation nurse. "Our non-smoking employees have shown a great deal of enthusiasm. They really want to show their support for their friends at work, and are very committed to giving them the emotional backing they need."

Dr. Bradley Dennis, Brookwood's chief medical officer, also serves on the Advisory Committee to the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Jefferson County. Dr. Dennis says, "We want to challenge all of the hospitals and health care companies in this area to join Brookwood in its effort to become smoke-free. We believe it is our job as health care providers to promote wellness and a healthier environment for Alabama. This is one way we can do that."