Smokers' Resources

Covenant HealthCare is tobacco-free at all of its campuses.
The transition to a smoke-free campus at Covenant HealthCare will mean change for all of us, especially those employees who smoke while at work. But for those who smoke, we hope this presents you with an opportunity for a larger, more beneficial lifestyle change - the opportunity to kick the smoking habit for good.

If you are interested in quitting smoking, we provide you with a variety of programs and sources to help you such as:

Local Resources  

• Covenant HealthCare facilitates the American Cancer Society's Fresh Start smoking cessation program, which features Covenant employees as cessation coaches. This program is free and open to the public. Join us to gather information on ways you can successfully quit smoking, and to check your lung health status with on-site respiratory tools. For more details, please see this informational flyer. 
• Central Michigan University Healthcare offers a program called The Finish Line. The program is based around Chantix, a non-nicotine smoking-cessation product. It costs $149 for Covenant employees (who can receive a three-month supply of Chantix free with a doctor's prescription when the prescription is filled through the Covenant Outpatient Pharmacy). It also includes four professional lectures, two spirometry tests, a nurse visit and counseling sessions. For more information, contact Anthony Taylor at CMU Healthcare at 989-583-6818. 
• Break Free Laser offers laser therapy to treat nicotine addiction. Treatment includes an initial consultation, laser therapy treatment, a smoking cessation treatment booster (two free within 12 weeks), one-month supply of three nutritional/detoxification supplements, behavioral modification training and ongoing support products. The program is based in Lansing, but they will travel to Saginaw for groups. Fees are a maximum of $330 per person. For more information, contact John Hagarty at 517-886-QUIT (7848). 

State and National Resources 

• The American Cancer Society offers quit tobacco resources. Call 248-663-3454 or 800-227-2345.
• The American Heart Association offers printed material. Call 800-242-8721. 
• The American Legacy Foundation offers online assistance and referrals to community programs.
• The American Lung Association offers quit smoking classes and printed material. Call 800-586-4872. Telephone quit advice is also available at 800-548-8252.
• The Michigan Department of Community Health offers a printable Michigan Smoker's Quit Kit, smoke-free dining resources and much more. (Click "Information for Consumers" and "To Quit Tobacco.") The Michigan Tobacco Quitline offers free information and tobacco treatment referral 24 hours/day. Call 1.800.QUIT.NOW (1-800-784-8669.) Free counseling and NRT may be available to certain callers. 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has several free quit tobacco guides, booklets and fact sheets. You can also visit their website, which is dedicated to helping tobacco users quit.
  
• National Cancer Institute offers telephone advice (877-448-7848, M-F, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) and a quit kit:  Online counselors are available M-F, 9 a.m. – 11 p.m.
• National Cancer Institute offers information on the relationship between smoking and cancer.
• Pfizer provides a personalized support plan (GET Quit) for up to one year to CHANTIX users only.
• Quit Smoking Community has information on smoking and its effects.
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service displays tobacco-related "frequently asked questions," a quit challenge blog and much more.