Want to Light Up? Leave Campus, Hospital Says Lake Forest Hospital’s Facilities Ban to Extend Outdoors Come Jan. 1

By Scott Ray Daily Herald Staff Writer

Waiting to hear the outcome of her mom’s knee surgery, Round Lake resident Gina Rozhon walked down the steps of the visitors entrance of Lake Forest Hospital and lit up a smoke.

“This is a stressful time to be at a hospital,” Rozhon said as she took a drag of her cigarette in the parking lot, waiting to hear from her mom’s doctor.

But those like Rozhon who take comfort in lighting up will have to step off campus to do so starting Jan. 1.

That’s when hospital officials will institute a smoking ban that will be the first of its kind in Lake County, prohibiting smoking on all hospital-owned property, including the parking lot, sidewalks, campus streets and other common areas.

The campus-wide ban, which will apply to employees, patients and visitors, will also extend to Lake Forest Hospital’s Outpatient and Acute Care Center in Grayslake; its medical buildings in Gurnee, Vernon Hills and Libertyville; and its Health and Fitness Center in Lindenhurst.

“Hospitals have been smoke-free for many, many years, but now they’re beginning to take this outside of the hospital to include the entire campus,” said Mary Anne Kelly, vice president of the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council.

“Health care providers know the impact of smoking, and it makes all the sense in the world to promote the healthiest environment possible for their employees, patients and visitors,” Kelly said.

The council, which consists of 140 hospitals in the Chicago area, applauds Lake Forest’s efforts and is encouraging its other members to consider implementing smoke-free campuses.

Lake Forest Hospital spokesman Barrie Fromme said the hospital’s decision to go smoke-free is to keep its actions in line with its mission: to create a healthy environment for all employees, patients and visitors.

“We want to make our hallways and those that walk our grounds in line with that mission,” Fromme said.

That makes sense to Kris Andersen, a member of Lake County Health Department’s Partnership for a Tobacco Free Lake County.

“This is a wonderful direction to go,” Andersen said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, studies show secondhand smoke contains more than 50 carcinogens, and exposure is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer and heart disease.

It’s not only hospitals going smoke-free.

The Lake County Health Department plans to make its campus smoke- free April 5, Andersen said. Many other organizations, businesses and even municipalities are considering smoking bans.

Although a lot of Lake Forest’s smoking ban details and procedures are still being ironed out, Fromme said enforcement of the new policy will be in the hands of hospital personnel.

“We’re looking for all employees to be the eyes and ears of this policy,” Fromme said.

To help inform the public of the new policy, the hospital is considering giving employees small business cards explaining it. Those would be distributed to visitors and patients not abiding by the new policy.

Employees who are caught violating the new policy could face disciplinary action, starting with verbal and written warnings and eventually termination if the problem persists, Fromme said.

“The goal isn’t to get employees to quit smoking,” Fromme said.

To assist employees that will have a hard time with the change, the hospital will offer them a discounted smoking prevention program. Certain heath care insurance policies will also be upgraded to reimburse employees up to $500 in their efforts to stop smoking, Fromme said.

As for Rozhon, she said the new ban would be an inconvenience but would not make her turn to another hospital.

“To be honest with you, I’m a heavy smoker, but I could go without,” she said. “If I had to, I’d go to my car and drive-off.”