GRAND RAPIDS — Spectrum Health and Saint Mary’s Health Care will require all their employees to not use tobacco at any time during their work shift beginning January 1.
The staffs of both hospitals will need to arrive without smelling of smoke, and they can’t use any tobacco products until they leave hospital property after their shift.
Metro Health is also joining in the Smoke-Free Work Day Every Day campaign.
In 2003, the Grand Rapids hospitals became the first in the country to jointly declare their hospital campuses smoke-free. Today, more than 30 Michigan hospitals have smoke-free campuses.
This takes it a step further.
The three hospitals are working together to help employees quit the habit between now and the first of the year. The hospitals said the main reason for making this decision was to improve patient care.
“Everyday our staff tell patients who use tobacco to quit,” said Bill Rietscha, Vice President of Facilities for Spectrum Health. “We can’t say that with credibility while smelling of tobacco ourselves.”
Tom Karel, the Vice President of Human Resources for Saint Mary’s, echoed that. “We have delivered this message to each person who walks in a door at Saint Mary’s, and this is the next step in a long term effort to ensure the health of our employees, patients, visitors and our entire community.”
Among the other reasons the hospitals cited were the health risks to their employees and the reduced productivity related to smoking.
Not everyone is thrilled with the plan. Midge Birdsall has worked in health care for more than 30 years. She knows smoking isn’t good for her, but she said the decision to quit should be hers and hers alone.
“I’m not doing something illegal so I have a problem with them telling me how to run my lifestyle when it’s not affecting my work,” she said. “I’m not sure how they can tell me I can’t go off campus on my break. I guess I’ll find out January 1.”
24 Hour News 8 talked with a local labor law attorney who said the hospitals can fire employees who disobey the rules.
It’s a growing trend. In January 2005, KVCC banned smoking for all new full-time employees. Lansing-based Weyco, a company that administers health benefits, also went smoke-free. Several employees left who refused to take a test to determine if they’re using tobacco.
