CCA, Foundation for Health Smart Consumers highlight 'Inspire' training program for clinicians at conference

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. — The Foundation for Health Smart Consumers and the Convenient Care Association presented the "Inspire" program at the recent Beyond the 5 A’s: Improving Cessation Intervention through Strengthened Training conference held in Scottsdale, Ariz.



The conference was held Nov. 13-15. This event, presented by National Jewish Health and the North American Quitline Consortium in collaboration with the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center, brought together public health tobacco cessation experts, systems decision-makers, healthcare providers and researchers to discuss advances in both evidence and practice for smoking cessation interventions.



FHSC and CCA were chosen to showcase their work on Inspire, a training program developed for clinicians working in the retail health industry and designed to increase provider knowledge and confidence in promoting and supporting tobacco use cessation among those patients utilizing retail-based healthcare services.



Launched in May 2013, the Inspire program has proven to increase provider confidence in both their ability to refer their patients to obtain services to quit using tobacco and helping patients quit using tobacco. Current Inspire trainees, who are primarily nurse practitioners, have come from more than 20 states. The program has been offered face-to-face and is available virtually.



“With the increased focus on preventive health with healthcare reform and retail-based clinics providing a critical access point into the healthcare system for many people, the Inspire program is an effective tool to support the work of retail clinicians,” said Tine Hansen-Turton, executive director of the CCA. “Retail clinics are playing an increasingly important role in healthcare delivery, and the Inspire program is one more tool clinicians have to provide high-quality, accessible care to millions of Americans nationwide. This conference is an exciting place to share our work with Inspire and the work of the clinicians.”



“It is an honor to be among this prestigious group of smoking cessation experts, healthcare researchers and providers, and to share the Inspire program and its success thus far,” said Mary Alice Lawless, chairman of FHSC.



The Inspire smoking cessation project is made possible by a national grant awarded to FHSC and CCA by the Pfizer Independent Grants for Learning & Change and the support of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center.