HJBR Nov/Dec 2019

Healthcare Journal of BATON ROUGE I  NOV / DEC 2019 27 Disease Control & Prevention), currently 23.1 percent of Louisiana adults smoke. That is nearly a quarter of the state’s population. We estimate that approximately 460,000 Louisiana residents could qualify as Trust members. As of mid-September 2019, the Trust has approved nearly 104,000 Louisi- ana residents to receive free, covered ser- vices to help them stop smoking cigarettes. There are over 350,000 Louisiana residents who could conceivably qualify for free ces- sation benefits through the Trust if they would just take that first step on the journey to address their nicotine addiction. Who are some of the Trust’s partners, and what role do they play in reducing the num- ber of smokers in Louisiana? The Smoking Cessation Trust has been fortunate to enlist the close cooperation of the largest and most well-known health sys- tems in Louisiana in our quest to change the trajectory of smoking in our state. Our partners in cessation treatment have modified their electronic medical systems to better assist Trust members, opened new clinic locations or hospital departments, and increased outreach activities to more effec- tively reach their patients with the news of their relationship with the Trust, which makes the Trust’s free benefits available to patients who are approved for membership. Partners include, but are not limited to: Ochsner Health System Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center East JeffersonGeneral Hospital St. FrancisMedical Center West JeffersonMedical Center Willis-KnightonHealth System Cardiovascular Institute of the South Imperial Health Thibodeaux Regional Medical Center The Rapides Foundation UniversityMedical Center NewOrleans Daughters of Charity Health Centers Each of our cessation partners have employed certified tobacco treatment spe- cialists, who receive special training and are certified to treat patients who smoke using methods that will increase the effectiveness of their attempts to quit. The treatment program is unique to each provider, and is designed to fit the way each program deliv- ers care to all their patients, not just smok- ers, so that patients can choose the type of care they want to receive. For example, if a patient likes a multi-specialty clinic setting, Ochsner or Imperial Health in Lake Charles might be a good choice, since both provider systems’care is delivered through a depart- ment within their clinic practice. If someone has cardiac issues, one of Cardiovascular Institute of the South’s 14 locations across south Louisiana might meet that need. If someone is more comfortable in an outpatient hospital setting, Willis-Knighton Health System in Shreveport, East Jefferson General Hospital orWest Jefferson General Hospital in the Greater New Orleans area, or St. Francis Medical Center inAlexandria, Louisiana might be the best choices. For those living in rural areas, where find- ing a local provider who is trained in ces- sation care is difficult, our members can access Redbrick Health, our Quitline pro- vider, who can assist callers by telephone to help locate partners who provide telemed- icine, which is face-to-face care via tele- phone, personal computer, or smartphone. Further, some independent physicians across Louisiana are approved to treat Trust patients once they have been approved by our network partner, Gilsbar 360 Alliance PPO Network. Providers can obtain infor- mation to join Gilsbar 360 Alliance PPO Network by calling 1-866-605-6797, and a Gilsbar representative will be happy to assist with the process. We are seeing a resurgence in nicotine addiction with the recent emergence of e-cigarettes and vaping. How do we get existing smokers to quit, and young people to never start? Our mission is to help assure that the “Scott Class” (Louisiana residents who started smoking cigarettes before 09/01/1988) have services available that can help them quit smoking cigarettes. However, there are efforts in the legislature, parishes, cities, and towns across Louisiana to ban these dangerous substances, or make 23.1 % Currently, 23.1% of Louisiana adults smoke. 460,000 Approximately 400,000 of Louisiana residents could qualify as Trust members. 104,000 Nearly 104,000 Louisiana residents approved to receive free, covered ser- vices to help them quit smoking.