National Jewish Launches Ohio Tobacco Quit Line

AUGUST 31, 2004

DENVER —

 

Tobacco Cessation Program from National Jewish Now Offered in Four States

National Jewish Medical and Research Center has begun offering Ohio's 2.4 million tobacco users free and confidential help kicking the tobacco habit through the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line. The three-year, $5.64 million contract with the Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation brings National Jewish's expertise in tobacco cessation and telephonic counseling to a fourth state. National Jewish already operates the Colorado Quit Line, the Montana Quit Line and a tobacco cessation pilot project in Idaho.

"We are delighted that the Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation trusted National Jewish to deliver this important service in Ohio," said Robert Thorn, Executive Director of Business Development. "National Jewish is now gaining a national reputation for providing effective, high quality Quit Lines. We are actively bidding on quit lines in other states."

National Jewish has offered telephonic counseling for respiratory health for more than 20 years. The National Jewish LUNG LINE, a free helpline funded by National Jewish and staffed by registered nurses, launched in 1983 has answered more than one million phone calls and emails. National Jewish began its telephone-based disease management services for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 1996 and has served more than 20,000 respiratory patients. With the new quit line contract, National Jewish expects to have more than 200,000 telephonic communications with individuals across the country in the next year.

National Jewish took over the Colorado Quit Line in December 2002 and reported in November 2003 that 28% of tobacco users who had enrolled in the telephonic counseling program remained tobacco-free six months after their last phone call. National Jewish began operating the Montana Quit Line in May 2004 and is also currently operating a pilot Quit Line project for the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health, Inc. in Idaho.

Beginning in August 2003, National Jewish operated a Tobacco Quit Line pilot project in Ohio, aimed primarily at minority smokers in Toledo, Cleveland and several counties in southeastern Ohio. When Ohio decided to go forward with a statewide effort, National Jewish submitted a bid, and was selected.

"After a competitive bidding process, we're pleased to be continuing our strong working relationship with National Jewish," said Mike Renner, executive director of the Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation. "With a nearly 25 percent quit rate, high caller satisfaction, and responsiveness to our needs, National Jewish is a great partner to help us fulfill our purpose of reducing tobacco use in Ohio."

Ohio is fertile ground for tobacco cessation. The seventh most populous state, Ohio ranks eighth in nation in terms of percentage of adults who smoke, at 26.6%. Approximately 2.4 million people in Ohio use tobacco, and 20,000 people die in Ohio from tobacco-related causes.

The Ohio Tobacco Quit Line officially launched on September 22. National Jewish projects 2,000 to 3,000 tobacco users will call the Quit Line each month. Call volume exceeded those expectations in the first week of operation. The Ohio Tobacco Quit Line number is 1-800-934-4840.

National Jewish is also overseeing the marketing campaign associated with the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line. It retained the Columbus, Ohio, firm Northlich develop and execute the statewide campaign.

National Jewish is the only medical and research center in the United States devoted entirely to the research and treatment of respiratory, allergic and immune diseases, including asthma, severe allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, lupus and other autoimmune diseases. U.S. News & World Report has named National Jewish the #1 respiratory hospital in the nation for eight consecutive years.