Kishwaukee Community Hospital’s month-old “no smoking” policy caps off a three-year process that has involved gradual smoking restrictions in several areas of the hospital.

Brad Copple, the hospital’s vice president of support services, said the move is a “culmination of efforts to limit smoking in the hospital that has been in place for a number of years.”

Copple said the policy symbolizes a major responsibility that Kishwaukee Hospital has to its patients and area residents. “There is nothing more detrimental to anyone’s health than smoking,” he said.

Community Relations Director Nancy Vidlak explained the process that led to a smoke-free hospital. “We started by limiting smoking in several different ways, such as restricting smoking by visitors in patients’ rooms, and not allowing patients to smoke while in private rooms or in rooms with another patient.” During this gradual limitation, other areas in the hospital still were accessible to smokers, such as the hospital cafeteria, lounges and the main lobby.

Under the standing policy, no visitors, physicians or employees are permitted to smoke anywhere in the hospital.

No organized opposition to the policy has been evident since it went into effect at the beginning of April, Vidlak said. “Some people complained about the policy in the beginning, but there were no serious organized protests to it.”

KCH President Wayne Fesler is content with the new policy. “We all believe that as the major health care provider in our area, it is our responsibility to be a leader in establishing a healthy environment for everyone.”