Quit Happens: A community clinic-based, multitiered smoking cessation intervention.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the "Quit Happens" program launched to reduce tobacco use in low-income populations in a federally qualified nonprofit health center with clinics in Washington and Idaho. Quit Happens was implemented in 2015 and involved a public health nurse, patient, provider, clinic, health system, and community components.


DESIGN AND SAMPLE
This smoking cessation program was assessed using a pre-post evaluation design. Nine clinics in a single system of federally qualified nonprofit health centers participated in this program.


INTERVENTION
The Quit Happens program was implemented across nine clinics in Washington and Idaho. A specialized public health nurse led the tobacco cessation training of all clinic staff and assisted with development of the smoking cessation program. The 5A model was used as the framework for the training.


MEASUREMENTS
The proportion of patients identifying as a current or former smoker was measured using data extracted from electronic health records.


RESULTS
Declines in patient reports of currently smoking were observed between 2016 and 2018. The percent of current smokers identified in electronic health records decreased 18.7% and percent of former smokers doubled.


CONCLUSION
This community-based tobacco cessation program had wide clinic and community support and self-reported smoking behavior declined over time. A public health nurse's leadership in offering training and program development around tobacco cessation to a local community organization can contribute to reductions in smoking rates.
['Shishani|Kawkab|K|0000-0002-7792-6456', 'Graves|Janessa M|JM|0000-0002-7659-2634', 'McGowan|Paige|P|', 'Lockwood|William|W|', 'Nystrom|Melissa|M|', 'Barbosa-Leiker|Celestina|C|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D005260:Female D006078:Government Programs D006801:Humans D007061:Idaho D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D011203:Poverty D012907:Smoking D016540:Smoking Cessation D000074606:Smoking Prevention D014861:Washington D055815:Young Adult
public health nursing tobacco cessation public health programs