St. Vincent And Purdue Team Up To Target Tobacco Use

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Free training program for healthcare professionals will help increase tobacco screenings in healthcare settings

Tobacco use causes more deaths than alcohol, AIDS, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined. It is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States, yet it kills more than 11,000 Hoosiers every year. To fight these devastating statistics, St. Vincent and Purdue University College of Pharmacy are launching a training program to increase tobacco screenings in healthcare settings.

Using the Rx for Change: Ask-Advise-Refer curriculum, St. Vincent will provide training, at no charge, for any healthcare professional in Indiana. The goal of these two-hour training sessions will be to provide trainees with an understanding of the impact of tobacco use on one’s health, give these professionals the training to advise patients for tobacco cessation, inform them about  medication options for smoking cessation, and explain how to refer to an evidence-based resource for additional assistance. Trainees can take advantage of receiving continuing education units, networking opportunities with industry peers, and the latest information regarding tobacco cessation and treatment.

St. Vincent is also working closely with the Indiana State Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention & Cessation Commission.  During the Rx for Change training, healthcare professionals are encouraged to refer patients to the state’s quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, which is an evidence-based cessation resource. St. Vincent will evaluate its efforts by determining if there is an increase in the number of participants who refer to the quitline after attending the training.

A local training will take place on the following date:

Wednesday, November 1, 2017                                                                                                                                                                     Peoples Trust and Savings Bank, 7199 Parker Drive, Newburgh, IN 47601

12 to 2 pm                     

A light lunch will be provided       

Space is limited. Please register at https://rxforchange_stvincentwarrick2.eventbrite.com. For additional information contact Jackie Richards, Respiratory Therapist, St. Vincent Evansville, at jmrichards@ascension.org or 812-485-5813.