Effective Jan. 1, 2006, St. Luke's Hospital and Mercy Medical Center (including MercyCare Community Physician office locations) each will be a Tobacco Free Workplace. Mercy and St. Luke’s jointly announced this initiative in September 2005.

Mercy and St. Luke’s are joining businesses and health-care systems in Iowa and across the country in banning the use of tobacco products at any hospital-owned facility or on hospital grounds. The policy affects employees, visitors and patients alike.

Tobacco is the single most preventable cause of cancer, and the harmful effects of smoking and second-hand smoke cannot be ignored. It is important for Mercy and St. Luke’s, as health-care institutions, to educate and model healthy behaviors for the communities we serve. A tobacco-free campus sends a clear message of the two hospitals’ commitment to create and sustain healthy communities.

The policy will result in a healthy work environment, which ultimately benefits employees as well as employers. We strongly encourage other businesses to adopt a tobacco-free policy. Mercy’s Sedlacek Treatment Center can help make the transition smooth with its new Tobacco Treatment Service, an education series modeled after a program at the Mayo Clinic. Sedlacek program coordinators are trained at Mayo, using Mayo-proven methods and materials.

If you have questions about this initiative, please contact Sr. Susan O’Connor, Mercy’s vice president of Mission Integration, (319) 398-6139; the Sedlacek Treatment Center, (319) 398-6226; or Bill Sackett, certified tobacco-free specialist at Mercy, (319) 398-6600