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The Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center is a 308-bed, acute-care and psychiatric hospital. The medical center enjoys a reputation of excellence as a patient-oriented, rural health facility.

ARH facilities in Hazard are now Tobacco Free

The Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center has a new campuswide tobacco-free policy. Beginning February 14, the entire Hazard ARH community including the hospital, clinic, HomeCare Store, Home Health Agency, ARH System Center and the ARH Medical Mall in Hazard went tobacco free. As part of this initiative, no tobacco use of any kind is permitted - inside or outside - on ARH property. This initiative included the elimination of designated areas outside Hazard ARH where employees, patients and visitors were permitted to use tobacco products.

"As a healthcare organization, we are committed to the health and safety of our employees and patients," said Hazard ARH Senior Community CEO Donnie Fields. "We believe that we have a responsibility to take a leadership role on this major health issue, and establishing our entire campus as tobacco-free firmly supports that belief." Kentucky has the highest rate of adult smokers in the nation. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), each year approximately 440,000 Americans die from diseases caused by smoking and nearly 8,000 are Kentuckians. The US Surgeon General has confirmed that exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke is a serious health hazard and that there is no risk-free level of exposure. Tobacco use in and around hospitals poses health and safety risks for patients, employees and visitors.

"Hazard ARH's decision to go tobacco-free is a concrete way to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to healthy living," Fields said. The hospital is offering employees who would like to quit smoking free smoking cessation classes through the UK Center for Rural Health's Cooper-Clayton smoking cessation program. The classes are also open to the public and are held each Monday in Room 329 at the UK Center for Rural Health Bailey-Stumbo Building at 750 Morton Boulevard adjacent to the hospital. The smoking cessation program uses education, skills training, and social support in combination with use of nicotine replacement products such as the nicotine patch, nicotine gum, or nicotine lozenge to help them quit smoking.

For more information contact Melissa Hendrickson at 606-439-3557, extension 83512.

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