After several months of planning the first Great American Smokeout event in collaboration with AHN Jefferson Hospital, it came to life on November 17th, 2022. The goal of the event was to kick off “Tobacco Free Tuesdays” at Jefferson Hospital where 500 hospital staff/providers/and assistants will wear their “Breathe Free, Live Free” t-shirts every Tuesday to help encourage patients to ask about smoking cessation programs and available resources Since the partnership began in January 2021, Tobacco Free Adagio Health has received over 200 referrals from Jefferson Hospital.
Rachel Bowden, Healthcare Coordinator, and Hannah Cristofano, Allegheny County Program Manager, from Tobacco Free Adagio Health led the event alongside the AHN Nurse education team, AHN COPD team, Duquesne Pharmacy students, and volunteers from the hospital. TFAH distributed 500 t-shirts, tobacco education information, carbon monoxide tests, COPD resources, Nicotine Replacement Therapy information, and free blood pressure screenings for hospital staff.
Four therapy dogs attended and were an excellent addition to the celebration. Hospital staff that visited the table wearing their "Breathe Free, Live Free" t-shirt were entered into a gift basket raffle. Over 200 people visited the table wearing their t-shirts and entered the raffle. Several staff were eager to tell us how many referrals they’ve sent over so far and shared their plans to expand Tobacco Free Tuesdays moving forward. It was an amazing opportunity to kick off Tobacco Free Tuesdays, hand out Quitline and TFAH information, and talk to such a passionate group of people. We are so thankful for the cessation champions at AHN Jefferson!