Journey to Become a Tobacco-Free Environment

As you know, a decision was made last year to become a completely tobacco free environment at all our facilities by Jan. 1, 2012. We began this process by implementing the Absence from the Unit procedure in February 2011, which restricts patients from leaving their units for non-therapeutic reasons, such as smoking.

The next step in the journey will be the implementation of the Tobacco-Free Environment policy effective Jan. 1, 2012. This policy prohibits the use of tobacco products by anyone, anywhere on WellStar facilities. Residents of the WellStar hospice facilities, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities are excluded from this policy. Please review it carefully and understand your responsibilities regarding the new policy.

New Absence from the Unit Policy

On Feb. 1, 2011, we implemented a new Absence from the Unit Policy. It is our top priority to ensure the safety and health of our patients at all times. We established this procedure in response to growing concerns about patients leaving units without the knowledge of our clinical staff.  If patients are not in their units, we cannot ensure their safety and that they are receiving timely medical care.

Critical Care Policy

The Systemwide Critical Care Committee developed a new Critical Care Policy that will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2011. The goal of this policy is to assure that patients in the Intensive Care Units (ICU) receive appropriate, safe, quality care.