James W. Wente, CPA, CHE, President and CEO, said, “In keeping with our mission to improve the health of those we serve, not only patients, their families and visitors, but also those who work with us, it is our responsibility to take a leadership role on this important public health issue.”

The new policy prohibits the use of all tobacco products not only within all Southeast Missouri Hospital-owned or leased buildings, but on Hospital-owned or leased grounds and parking lots as well. The initiative also includes the elimination of designated places outside Hospital facilities where visitors, patients and employees currently smoke.

Click here to read about Southeast's new nicotine replacement products policy to benefit patients and employees

For info on Tobacco Cessation Classes,
the Generations Family Resource Center at 573-651-5825.

“I am pleased that Southeast is taking a proactive approach on this national healthcare issue,” said D. Curtis Coonce, M.D., a Cape Girardeau otolaryngologist and President of the Southeast Missouri Hospital Medical Staff. Over the past four-plus decades, tobacco cessation and avoidance education efforts have resulted in a nearly 50 percent decrease in smoking rates among U.S. adults and more than a 50 percent decrease in the annual consumption of tobacco. 

“Despite these efforts, tobacco use still remains the number one cause of preventable and premature deaths in the U.S.,” added Dr. Coonce. “The toll on longevity, quality of life and health care costs has been substantial. The Surgeon Generals’ reports show that tobacco affects every system and nearly every organ in the body.”

Among Missouri hospitals announcing plans to become smoke free campuses on September 1 are University of Missouri Health Care; most St. Louis hospitals, including BJC, St. Louis University Hospital, Missouri Baptist Hospital and St. John’s Mercy Medical Center; Cox Health System in Springfield; and most Kansas City hospitals.

Help for Tobacco Users

For years, Southeast has offered smoking cessation programs to the public and Southeast employees that have helped hundreds of individuals learn to be tobacco free.

These will continue to be offered, Wente said. Employees and the public may participate in Freedom From Smoking, a seven-week class designed by the American Lung Association and taught by Southeast healthcare professionals. The class series is designed to help people learn what triggers them to use tobacco and how to make positive choices to quit. Freedom From Smoking class begin on a regular basis at Southeast’s HealthPoint Plaza.

Available in the workplace is the EASE (Employer-Assisted Smoking Elimination) program, an abbreviated Freedom From Smoking class that fits into the corporate workday.  For more information on Freedom From Smoking or EASE, call Southeast’s Wellness Manager Cindy Seyer, RRT,RCP, at HealthPoint Fitness, 986-4406.

Patients who use tobacco are counseled, Wente said, adding that physicians can and often do order nicotine patches or medication during a patient’s hospitalization. That policy has been in place for more than a decade.

Wente emphasized that it is not the Hospital’s intention to take away an individual’s right to smoke or use tobacco. “We are simply asking that you not use tobacco on our properties. It’s a matter of health.”

For Tobacco Cessation Resources, click here

For the Missourian Junior Page on Tobacco and Kids, click here for a PDF