All River Valley Health facilities and properties, including parking lots, are smoke-free.
Message
from CEO
Welcome to River Valley Health’s Tobacco Reduction web page. As a health care organization, we believe we have a duty to
provide leadership in health-oriented policy and practice. On May 31, 2006
River Valley Health implemented a policy that prohibits smoking in or on
all River Valley Health owned, funded or operated facilities and properties, including vehicles parked on the property.
Although we recognize there may be challenges, we are committed to health
promotion and disease and injury prevention within our region. Our smoke-free
property policy is a positive step forward in building both a healthier work
environment and a healthier region.
By implementing changes to our patient assessment forms and ensuring our nurses, respiratory therapists,
physicians and pharmacists are trained in best practice clinical tobacco
intervention, our clinicians are prepared to help when you visit a River Valley
Health facility. Research has shown that a health professional’s advice to stop
smoking increases the rate of smoking cessation by nearly 30 percent.
We anticipate that our policy and our offer of smoking cessation
support will make a difference.
Sincerely,
John McGarry
CEO