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It is with great pride that I write to applaud the hospitals in Memphis and surrounding communities for working together to implement their new tobacco-free campus policies.

Effective November 15, all Memphis-area hospitals will implement a new policy to keep their campuses, including parking garages and former smoking areas, entirely tobacco-free. While hospital buildings have been smoke-free for some time, it is no small feat to enforce this policy on the entire campus. These healthcare organizations believe they have the responsibility to promote healthy lifestyle choices, so they’ve stepped up to the challenge.

With lung cancer holding strong as the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women, their timing couldn’t be better. Studies show there will be about 160,390 lung cancer deaths this year; 89,510 men and 70,880 women will succumb to a disease that is largely preventable.

The hospitals’ team approach to eliminate tobacco use on their properties sends a strong message to their community that healthcare organizations cannot and will not sit back and watch tobacco destroy the lives of so many. They’re joining a statewide effort to stamp out tobacco use, and these hospitals deserve a standing ovation for their actions.

With support from the Tennessee Hospital Association, Governor Phil Bredesen, the American Cancer Society, Mayor AC Wharton and many other health advocates, these hospitals are making great strides in the fight for clean air and healthier communities.

By embracing this tobacco-free initiative, these healthcare organizations have taken an important step toward improving the health of many Mid-Southerners.



Participating facilities include the Baptist Memorial Health Care system, Delta Medical Center, Regional Medical Center at Memphis (the MED), Memphis Mental Health Institute, Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare and Saint Francis Healthcare. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will designate its hospital campus as tobacco-free.

*The Memphis Mental Health Institute implemented this policy on July 1, 2007.

**Baptist Memorial Health Care has extended the policy to include all facilities, including those in west Tennessee and Mississippi.




December 2007

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