POLICY

Title:Smoking/Tobacco Free Campus HR #41

Date:7/1/95 Approved by: Handbook 95

Revision Date:2/24/99 Administrative Team/W Adams

7/14/2009 Board of Managers (BOM)

12/14/2010 Board of Managers (BOM)

Policy:

Elkhart Clinic, LLC is dedicated to providing a healthy, comfortable, and productive work environment for its employees. The health hazards related to smoking are well-documented. These health hazards impact both the smoker and the non-smoker who is exposed to secondhand smoke.

Numerous studies have found that tobacco smoke is a major contributor to indoor air pollution, and that breathing secondhand smoke (also known as environmental tobacco smoke) is a cause of disease in healthy non-smokers, including heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and lung cancer. The National Cancer Institute determined in 1999 that secondhand smoke is responsible for the early deaths of up to 50,000 Americans annually.

Workplaces that permit tobacco use experience higher worker absenteeism due to respiratory disease, lower productivity, higher cleaning and maintenance costs, increased health insurance rates, and increased liability claims for diseases related to exposure to secondhand smoke.

In light of these findings, Elkhart Clinic shall be completely tobacco-free effective July 1, 2011. The success of this policy will depend on the thoughtfulness, consideration, and cooperation of both smokers andnon-smokers. All employees share in the responsibility for adhering to and enforcing this policy.

Procedure:

Elkhart Clinic shall provide a tobacco-free campus to all of its employees and all visitors.

  1. Principles:
  2. This policy shall apply to all persons, at all times, in company-owned or leased buildings and vehicles, and on company-owned or leased outdoor property, including walkways, parking lots, or within a 30-foot perimeter of any entrance, whichever is greater.
  3. This policy shall be implemented no later than July, 2011.
  4. This policy also applies to company-sponsored meetings and events on or off company premises.
  5. This policy applies to personal vehicles on company property, including parking lots.
  6. Smoking and tobacco use of all types (including but not limited to cigarettes, bidis, kreteks, pipes, cigars, e-cigarettes, and smokeless/chewing tobacco) is prohibited.
  7. No ashtrays or any other collection receptacles for tobacco trash shall be placed on the property.
  8. Employees are asked to be respectful of the boundaries of personal and public property adjacent to any Clinic owned or leased property.
  9. Tobacco cessation and awareness programs
  10. Tobacco cessation and awareness programs, referrals, and resources shall be made available to employees who desire to stop using tobacco. Interested individuals shall contact Human Resources for additional information.
  11. The Indiana Tobacco Quitlineis a free phone-based counseling service that helps Indiana smokers quit.
  12. Services include:
  13. One on one coaching for Tobacco Users who have decided to quit;
  14. Resources for Healthcare Providers who want to improve patient outcomes;
  15. Best Practices for Employers who want to implement smoke-free policies;
  16. Support for Family and Friends who want to help loved ones stop smoking;
  17. Tools for Tobacco Control partners to complement their current programs;
  18. Services are available 7 days-a-week in more than 170 languages.
    A trained quit coach will work with interested individualsand provide solutions tailored to his/her needs.
  19. For support information call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669).
  20. Responsibility:
  21. All employees share in the responsibility for adhering to and enforcing this policy.
  22. All employees are authorized and encouraged to communicate this policy with courtesy, respect, and diplomacy, especially with regard to patients and visitors.
  23. Signs communicating the policy shall be clearly posted on the property.
  24. Compliance with the tobacco-free campus policy is mandatory for all employees and persons visiting Elkhart Clinic campuses, with no exceptions.
  25. Enforcement:
  26. Employee non-compliance with the policy shall result in disciplinary action.
  27. This policy shall be enforced through administrative action by managers.
  28. Managers are responsible for ensuring that employees under their direction are aware of the policy and comply with it and for taking appropriate action to correct non-compliance.
  29. Managers are responsible for ensuring that all employees are notified of the new policy and receive a copy of the policy.
  30. Any person who observes violations of the policy may report these violations to the manager of the employee in question. Once the employee’s manager has been notified of a violation, or if the manager directly observes a violation by an employee under his or her direction, the manager is responsible for discussing the violation with the employee and taking appropriate disciplinary action.
  31. Employees are expected to refrain from using tobacco during working hours to avoid bringing the contaminants of smoke remaining in one’s clothing and hair into the workplace. Such contaminants may trigger adverse reactions in others. In the event that contaminants are noted when an employee presents or returns to the workplace, said employee shall be asked to punch out, change clothing, and return to the campus free of contaminants. Repeat problems with compliance will result in progression through the discipline process.
  32. If problems persist, an employee who observes violations of the policy may speak to Crystal Cruise, Human Resources Administrator, at extension 3216.
  33. Any disputes involving this policy shall be handled through the Elkhart Clinic’s established procedures for resolving work-related problems.
  34. Non-employed persons observed in violation of the policy:
  35. Any person observed violating the tobacco-free policy shall be respectfully asked by an employee to extinguish their cigarette/cigar/pipe or dispose of their smokeless tobacco.
  36. Persons who refuse to comply with the tobacco-free policy shall be respectfully asked to leave the campus if they wish to continue their use of tobacco.
  37. In the event a surgery patient threatens to leave the Clinic to smoke, this shall be considered an Against Medical Advice (AMA) event, and applicable policy shall be followed.
  38. Questions regarding this policy shall be referred to Elkhart Clinic Human Resources, extension 3216.
  39. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
  40. Clinic patients choosing to use Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT) while on campus for office visits shall plan to bring their own supply, if needed.
  41. Visitors choosing to use NRT while on campus for any type of activityshall plan to bring their own supply, if needed.
  42. Surgical patients:
  43. The attending physician shall be responsible for assessing patients and discussing with them available NRT options to avoid problems with nicotine withdrawal after surgery, prior to the date of the scheduled procedure.
  44. The physician will complete the Nicotine Replacement Therapy Orders Form to ensure the patient’s day of procedure care includes NRT.