Riverside goes smokefree

Ken Johnston
Editor

As of Canada Day smokers will have to butt out or leave the property at all three hospitals in the west Rainy River District.
The Riverside Health Care Facilities Board that oversees Rainy River, Emo and Fort Frances hospitals recently endorsed a decision to make their premises completely smoke free.
While they have been just about smokeless for a number of years now, there have been a few loopholes that both employees, patients and visitors could use to smoke there.
In the Long Term Care wing in Rainy River the residents or guests could smoke in a designated area. The same took place in the Continuing Care Unit at Laverendrye Hospital.
Staff, patients and visitors not in those parts of the hospital had to go outside and be 28 feet from the entrance of the facility. “Now they will have to be right off the property,” said Riverside Communications Officer Teresa Hazel Friday.
To avoid liability problems, patients will have to sign a release before leaving the property, but will not have any problems getting back in.
Hazel said that Riverside is hoping that patients will choose to take advantage of several quitting smoking options available. A smoking cessation program is in place and, “We have trained Smoking Interventionist to help them.”
Riverside CEO Wayne Woods, who smokes said, “I am looking at this as an opportunity to try and kick the habit myself. As a corporation, it definitely demonstrates Riverside’s commitment to providing quality health care programs and services that promote the health and well-being of our patients and staff.”