OHA’s health improvement initiatives team presents at national conference

Posted on: 9/13/19


 
 Eric Finley and Kelly Willingham
OHA’s Hospitals Helping Patients Quit program staff, a grant program of TSET, presented two poster sessions at the National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH) in Minneapolis on Aug. 27.

As one of the longest standing gatherings for the top U.S. tobacco control professionals, NCTOH convenes to discuss best practices and policies to reduce tobacco use – the leading preventable cause of disease and death.

The first poster compared two different Tobacco Treatment Models (TTM) used at OU Children’s Hospital. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) uses a traditional provider driven TTM in which a health care professional provides face-to-face tobacco treatment services to the parents or caregivers of children admitted to the NICU. A non-provider driven or self-help TTM is used in the Heart Center Clinic in which the parent or caregiver is given a tobacco use screening and readiness-to-quit worksheet with the intake packet. Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline referral rates from the two departments were examined to see if the efficacy of the self-help TTM held up against the traditional provider driven TTM. This study observed that there wasn’t a significant difference in Helpline referral rates between the two TTMs (provider driven TTM = 59% vs. self-help TTM = 49%). The self-help TTM proved to be a reliable solution for referring parents or caregivers to the Helpline in pediatric provider settings that don’t have enough resources for a full tobacco cessation consult.  

The second poster showed the comprehensive impact of the Hospitals Helping Patients Quit (HHPQ) initiative from fiscal year (FY) 2010 to FY 2018. As a result of this program, 89 hospitals and health care systems have adopted tobacco-free campus policies. In addition, 64 hospitals and more than 250 clinics have implemented tobacco screening, counseling, and referral protocols. During that same time period, one-third of all statewide referrals were generated by the HHPQ program, with 50% of those referrals coming from rural HHPQ partners.

HHPQ is funded through a grant from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET). Since 2010, HHPQ has partnered with more than 50 hospitals and dozens of clinics, improving the health and quality of life for thousands of Oklahomans. If your hospital or clinic would like help in setting up a comprehensive tobacco cessation program, please contact Kelly Willingham, [email protected], (405) 427-9527. 

Save the dates for OHA 2022 events

Posted on: 2/18/22


It’s a new year and a new lineup of important events for you and your staff. Don’t miss out on these opportunities to engage in advocacy, education and networking all year long. Mark your calendar now!

OHA Advocacy Day - Tuesday, April 5, Oklahoma History Center. Join us for our annual legislative day. We will begin with a member briefing at 3 p.m., followed by a legislative reception at 5 p.m. Watch for registration materials soon.

OHA-PAC Golf Tournament - Tuesday, June 21, Jimmie Austin Golf Club at OU, Norman. Time and details TBA.

OHA Health Care Leaders Forum - Tuesday, July 19 - Thursday, July 21, Shangri-La Resort, Grand Lake. Watch for registration soon!

OHA Connect 22 - Wednesday, Nov. 9 - Friday, Nov. 11, Oklahoma City Convention Center and Omni Hotel, downtown Oklahoma City. Plan now to attend OHA’s annual conference and exhibit hall. More details to come.

Details on these events and other upcoming education opportunities will be available on the OHA website.