Midwest Business Group on Health Receives Grant for Tobacco Prevention Efforts
Program will focus on tobacco cessation in the workplace
Cary Conway, MBGH Media Contact
CHICAGO – The Midwest Business Group on Health is one of 30 community organizations to be awarded subcontracts totaling more than $2 million to provide vulnerable communities with smoking cessation resources and promote policies that encourage tobacco-free living. The contracts were awarded as part of the Chicago Tobacco Prevention Project (CTPP), a partnership between the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago and the Chicago Department of Public Health.
“Local partners are an important part of our strategy in approaching Chicago’s diverse communities with culturally appropriate messaging to help people quit smoking and with policy ideas that are feasible to implement,” said Joel Africk, president and chief executive officer of the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago.
MBGH will work with the employer community to assist firms in designing comprehensive, value-based benefit coverages to enable workers to stop smoking and to develop “best practice” policies and procedures to create tobacco-free worksite campuses. Activities will include external and intranet television announcements, a new micro-website providing employer-focused smoking cessation tools and materials, webinars and direct assistance to develop successful, measureable programs.
“These dedicated organizations have the experience and the expertise to help us reach and serve groups with higher rates of smoking – people who often are not reached with traditional outreach efforts,” said Dr. Bechara Choucair, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. We may come from different neighborhoods, different backgrounds and so forth – but we are united in our commitment to build a healthier, smoke-free Chicago for everyone.”
Larry Boress, MBGH president and CEO also noted, "We realize smoking contributes to higher cost and lower productivity for employers, as smokers tend to be off work longer when ill, have longer hospital stays, and take longer breaks from their work. Research indicates that the majority of smokers want to quit, however they need support to do so, which is what we hope to accomplish through this program.”
About the Midwest Business Group on Health
Celebrating 30 years of advancing value in health benefits management, the non-profit Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) is one of the nation's leading business groups of private and public employers. MBGH's more than 100 members represent over 3 million lives, spending more than $3 billion on health care benefits annually. MBGH member benefits include health benefits education workshops, networking opportunities, research, demonstration projects and community initiatives. MBGH is a founding member of the National Business Coalition on Health.
About the Chicago Tobacco Prevention Project
In partnership with the Chicago Department of Public Health, RHAMC will lead the Chicago Tobacco Prevention Project through March, 2012. Funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control, the comprehensive program includes hard-hitting media, outreach to vulnerable population groups, and policy efforts that reduce exposure to secondhand smoke. To learn more about their community programs, visit their website.
About RHAMC
Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago (RHAMC) has been a local public health leader since 1906. Today, the association addresses asthma, COPD, lung cancer, tobacco control and air quality with a comprehensive approach involving research, education and advocacy activities.
About CDPH
Since 1835, the Chicago Department of Public Health has provided leadership to make Chicago a healthier and safer place for everyone. Currently the Department is engaged in several “winnable battles” to address major public health challenges – one of which is tobacco smoking.