Communitywide Project Builds Upon Cleveland Clinic’s Success in Bringing Smoking Cessation and Prevention to the Forefront
Cleveland Clinic announced today it is extending SmokeFree Greater Cleveland, a three-month pilot program launched last January to provide free smoking cessation services to all Cuyahoga residents with specific services for Cleveland residents.
“We are committed to eliminating smoking as a vice that endangers Northeast Ohio residents of all ages. Due to the tremendous success of the SmokeFree initiative, Cleveland Clinic and the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation, have elected o extend the program another three months,” said Delos “Toby” Cosgrove, M.D., CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic. “This effort builds upon Cleveland Clinic’s efforts to raise awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco and avail Greater Cleveland residents of smoking cessation resources.”
Cleveland Clinic collaborated with the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County to create the SmokeFree initiative. In addition, the health system worked with the Ohio Tobacco QUITLINE to make free nicotine replacement therapy available to all uninsured Cuyahoga County residents and access to the Cleveland Clinic web-based smoking cessation program “Breathe Advantage.” was provided.
Between Jan. 1 and March 31, the SmokeFree program generated 4,039 calls to the QUITLINE, a staggering 162% increase from the number of calls received in the same period last year. Similarly, the Ohio QUITLINE, a statewide, toll free telephone counseling service, issued nicotine patch kits to 4,656 Cuyahoga County residents during the same timeframe.
Cleveland Clinic donated more than 750 nicotine patches to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health the first three months of the SmokeFree program. More than 200 people have accessed Cleveland Clinic’s online smoking cessation program since January.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking and secondhand smoke are the country’s most preventable causes of death, claiming more than 440,000 lives each year. Smoking harms virtually every organ of the body.
Cleveland Clinic has committed to eradicating this silent killer. In addition to rolling out SmokeFree Greater Cleveland, the hospital designated its entire health system smoke-free on July 4, 2005 and supported the passage of Ohio’s SmokeFreeOhio Initiative last fall.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey.
Approximately 1,500 full-time salaried physicians at Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2005, there were 2.9 million outpatient visits to Cleveland Clinic. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 80 countries. There were nearly 54,000 hospital admissions to Cleveland Clinic in 2005. For more information, visit www.clevelandclinic.org.
Media Relations Contact
Erinne Kovi Dyer, 216.444.8168
