Hackensack Meridian Health Announces New Community Smoking Cessation Treatment Center (CSCTC) Initiative

First Centers to launch in early 2019

In recognition of Lung Cancer Awareness month, Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center recently hosted the fourth Community Outreach and Engagement initiative to reduce cancer disparities. This event, which was attended by community representatives and collaborators of Hackensack University Medical Center, provided attendees the opportunity to learn about the new Community Smoking Cessation Treatment Center (CSCTC) initiative, which is scheduled to launch in February 2019 at ten locations in New Jersey including the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center and Palisades Medical Center.

“We are excited to accept not only one, but two State of New Jersey Department of Health grants for the Treatment Center,” said Ana-Paula Cupertino, Ph.D., director, Latino Cancer Disparities Center, associate director, Cancer Prevention and Control, John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center. “These Quit Centers aim to treat at least 400 underserved, uninsured smokers per year in the northern New Jersey counties of Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson.”

The smoking cessation program will operate in partnership with community-based organizations, which will refer smokers to receive treatment at the centers. Treatment, both counseling sessions and pharmacotherapy, will be delivered through in-person meetings, telemedicine and even through text-message. Chinwe Ogedegbe, M.D.,  section chief, Research, Emergency and Trauma Center, Hackensack University Medical Center and co-director of the Smoking Cessation Treatment Center will oversee the management of pharmacotherapy and implement an electronic referral system within various Hackensack Meridian Health clinical departments including surgery, orthopedics, cardiovascular and the emergency department.

“Congratulations to Dr. Cupertino and the entire team for bringing this idea to fruition and creating a comprehensive program to serve our communities and ultimately reduce disparities in lung cancer,” said Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, president, Hackensack University Medical Center, executive vice president, Population Health, Hackensack Meridian Health. “These much-needed centers will ultimately help to decrease tobacco use among individuals from underserved groups by offering culturally and linguistically competent smoking cessation treatments to eliminate barriers to smoking cessation.”

For more information on the community Smoking Cessation treatment Center, please call 551-996-4242.

About Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center

Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center, a 781-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, NJ, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state. Founded in 1888 as the county’s first hospital, it is now part of one of the largest networks in the state comprised of 33,000 team members and more than 6,500 physicians. Hackensack University Medical Center was listed as one of the top two hospitals in New Jersey in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018-19 Best Hospital rankings. It was also named one of the top five New York Metro Area hospitals. Hackensack University Medical Center is one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more years in a row. Becker’s Hospital Review recognized Hackensack University Medical Center as one of the 100 Great Hospitals in America 2018. The medical center is one of the top 25 green hospitals in the country according to Practice Greenhealth, and received 25 Gold Seals of Approval™ by The Joint Commission – more than any other hospital in the country. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet® recognized hospital for nursing excellence; receiving its fifth consecutive designation in 2014. Hackensack University Medical Center has created an entire campus of award-winning care, including: the John Theurer Cancer Center; the Heart & Vascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women’s and Children’s Pavilion, which houses the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital, which was designed with The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center and listed on the Green Guide’s list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. Hackensack University Medical Center is the Hometown Hospital of the New York Giants and the New York Red Bulls and is Official Medical Services Provider to The Northern Trust PGA Golf Tournament. It remains committed to its community through fundraising and community events especially the Tackle Kids Cancer Campaign providing much needed research at the Children’s Cancer Institute housed at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital. To learn more, visit www.HackensackUMC.org.