Gold Star Standards of Excellence
As leaders in health care, Maine hospitals seek to optimize the health of patients and the surrounding community. They provide key community support and are exemplary role models of health care excellence. Tobacco-free campus policies are examples of this commitment that benefits patients, employees, and the entire community. The Maine Tobacco-Free Hospital Network, an initiative of the Breathe Easy Coalition of Maine wants to recognize those hospitals that have worked hard to make their campus a 100% tobacco-free environment.
10 Point Policy Plan/Standards of Excellence
- The hospital campus is 100% tobacco-free. Tobacco use by staff, patients, and visitors is prohibited at all times in and on the hospital’s property including in cars, in parking lots, at all satellite sites or other properties the hospital owns and rents, including off-site meetings and conferences. (“Tobacco” refers to cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, snuff, chew, cigars, pipes, non-FDA approved nicotine delivery systems [electronic cigarettes].)
- Written policies and procedures that communicate and reinforce such policies on tobacco exist and are reviewed at least annually and as needed.
- Appropriate signage is posted at key locations including entrances to the grounds and buildings.
- Information about tobacco use and treatment, secondhand smoke, and local and statewide resources are readily available to patients, staff, and visitors.
- Advertising or promotion of tobacco products is not allowed on the hospital’s campus or satellite facilities. This includes hospital publications and magazines subscribed to by the hospital for their waiting rooms.
- Clinical services are available for any patient needing/desiring assistance for nicotine withdrawal symptoms and/or quitting, including evidence-based medications.
- The hospital supports education and training on tobacco use and treatment for employees.
- Tobacco treatment services are available for employees. For insured employees and dependents, benefits include coverage of counseling and medication therapy for quitting tobacco, with minimal, or no, barriers to utilization (co-pays, out of pocket costs, limits).
- Hospital recommended lodging highlights smoke-free establishments.
- The hospital refuses all donations from the tobacco industry, and divests itself of all tobacco company stock.
2012 MTFHN Gold Star Standards of Excellence Application
Download the application to apply for the MTFHN Gold Star Standards of Excellence.
MTFHN Gold Star Standards of Excellence Awardees
The following hospitals have shown their commitment to maintaining a healthy environment and protecting their employees, patients, and visitors from secondhand smoke by implementing tobacco-free policies on their campus. We congratulate their efforts and have awarded them the following Gold Star Standard of Excellence award.
2011
Gold: 10 Stars
Calais Regional Hospital, Calais
Calais Regional Hospital adopted their tobacco-free campus policy in 2008 and reviews the policy annually. They only subscribe to health magazines that won’t have tobacco advertising and the MTFHN sticker is added to the cover of each donated magazine.
Franklin Memorial Hospital, Farmington
New employees are required to sign the Tobacco Free Campus Agreement upon hire. Each patient is offered material and assistance for quitting tobacco, and employees are reimbursed for any cessation co-pays they incur.
Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, Ellsworth
MCMH has used a comprehensive approach to educating their community about their tobacco-free campus policy. Patients and visitors are educated via signage, through written materials and verbally; while managers are tasked with making sure that their employees are aware and comply with the policy.
Mercy Hospital, Portland
As of January 2009, all of the Mercy campuses, including the adjacent sidewalks are tobacco-free zones. Patients are automatically referred for via the admissions assessment and provided with cessation medications as needed. Family members are strongly encouraged to participate in the patient’s cessation as well.
Mid Coast Hospital, Brunswick
Mid Coast Hospital has offered tobacco treatment and medication benefits for several years and uses many methods to educate employees about what tools are available to them if they are ready to quit using tobacco products. This includes educating employees at orientation, benefits fairs, the Great American Smokeout and at health risk appraisals.
Miles Memorial Hospital, Damariscotta
Miles Memorial Hospital continues their efforts to be a healthy role model at events, meetings and conferences that are held outside of their tobacco-free hospital campus by including language in their policy to make all functions authorized by MMH tobacco-free.
Parkview Adventist Medical Center, Brunswick
Parkview made their campus 100% tobacco-free in 2010 by strengthening their policy to not allow tobacco use in personal vehicles on their campus. Additionally they provide support through free nicotine replacement therapy and provide group and individual support for staff ready to quit.
Pen Bay Medical Center, Rockport
Pen Bay was recognized at the silver level last year and has moved up to gold for 2011. They had all staff sign on to their tobacco-free policy in 2009 and had plenty of signage educating everyone about their policy. They met their final standard by working across hospital departments to remove tobacco advertising from magazines in their waiting rooms – asking volunteers not to bring in magazines containing these ads but also going around weekly to waiting areas to put the MTFHN stickers on any publications as needed.
Spring Harbor Hospital, Westbrook
Spring Harbor offers tobacco cessation education cessations to all patients and staff - providing on-site counseling for interested employees and weekly tobacco cessation groups for patients.
St. Andrews Hospital, Boothbay Harbor
St. Andrews Hospital provides positive reminders about their tobacco-free campus by using the motto "Breathe Easy - This is a Tobacco-Free Campus" is located at the main entrances of each campus. They have signage reminding patients, visitors and staff of their policy at the entrance to every building.
Stephens Memorial Hospital, Norway
Stephens Memorial Hospitaladopted a tobacco-free campus policy in 2009 and staff and leadership share the responsiblity of enforcing the policy. Patients, staff, visitors and the community are educated about the policy through signage located at the entrances to the hospital campus.
The Aroostook Medical Center, Presque Isle
The Aroostook Medical Center supports employees who are interested in quitting tobacco use by offering free one-on-one sessions and group classes, as well as making cessation information available. Employees are informed of the benefits during orientation and open enrollment. TAMC collaborates with their local Healthy Maine Partnership on community tobacco education as well.
Silver: 8 to 9 Stars
Down East Community Hospital, Machias
Down East Community Hospital has had a 100% tobacco-free policy since 2007 and makes patients aware of quitting resources by including them in admission packets and making sure that cessation aides are available right in their pharmacy.
Cary Medical Center, Caribou
Cary Medical Center took on a major project when they went tobacco-free to support employees wishing to quit, they also have a wide range of staff that have been trained to provide treatment support, including case managers, social workers, respiratory staff and pharmacy staff.
Central Maine Medical Center, Lewiston
CMMC educates staff, patients and visitors about their tobacco-free policy with pamphlets that explain where tobacco use is prohibited and what resources are available for those looking to quit. These brochures are available in waiting rooms, human resources and other locations throughout the hospital.
Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor
EMMC shows their commitment to refusing donations from the tobacco industry by including language about avoiding these companies in their investment policy. Their policy excludes investments that contain companies whose primary revenue is derived from the manufacturing or sale of tobacco or alcohol products.
Southern Maine Medical Center, Biddeford
SMMC makes their community aware of the link between tobacco use and healthy living through the policy signage, which states “SMMC promotes a healthy lifestyle. We are a smoke-free campus.”
The Acadia Hospital, Bangor
The Acadia Hospital recently adopted a tobacco-free campus policy; they have trained staff to be able to educate visitors about the policy and to ask them to refrain from smoking. They also held a major campaign to encourage tobacco users to quit when they were converting to the new policy.
Bronze: 6 to 7 Stars
St. Mary's Regional Medical Center, Lewiston
St. Mary’s has shown their commitment to not supporting tobacco advertising by placing signs in their waiting rooms stating that they do not support tobacco industry advertising that may be found in magazines.
York Hospital, York
York Hospital shows their commitment to supporting those ready to quit using tobacco products by including information about cessation services and supports available right in their tobacco policy.
Individual Gold Stars:
Cary Medical Center: Rebecca Bowmaster
Eastern Maine Medical Center: Helen McKinnon
Mid Coast Hospital: Marla Davis
Pen Bay Medical Center: Carla-Jo Kaler
Stephens Memorial Hospital: Sharon Buffington
St. Mary's Health Systems: Maria Pete and Jennifer Smith
Togus VA Medical Center: Dr. Melanie Thompson
2010
10 Stars
Spring Harbor Hospital
The Aroostook Medical Center
Parkview Adventist Medical Center
Franklin Memorial Hospital
Miles Memorial Hospital
Mercy Hospital
9 Stars
Pen Bay Medical Center
Mount Desert Island Hospital
St. Andrew’s Hospital
8 Stars
Calais Regional Hospital
Penobscot Valley Hospital
Central Maine Medical Center
Waldo County General Hospital
7 Stars
Redington-Fairview General Hospital
Hospital Individual Gold Stars
Redington-Fairview General Hospital: community team
Waldo County General Hospital: Wellness Council
Central Maine Medical Center: CEO Laird Covey
Penobscot Bay Medical Center: Sue Low
Mount Desert Hospital: Kathleen Mulligan
Mercy Hospital: Frederica Jackson and Mary Fink
Please see our Flickr photostream for photos of the 2010 Event.
2008
10 Stars
Mercy Hospital
9 Stars
Northern Maine Medical Center
8 Stars
Southern Maine Medical Center
Central Maine Medical Center
2007
10 Stars
Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital & Nursing Home
MaineGeneral Medical Center – Augusta
MaineGeneral Medical Center – Waterville
Northern Maine Medical Center
Riverview Psychiatric Center
Sebasticook Valley Hospital
9 Stars
Mayo Regional Hospital
Penobscot Valley Hospital
8 Stars
Down East Community Hospital
Franklin Memorial Hospital
Mid Coast Hospital
