Featured Health Plan Champion Beverly Pasley Director of the Quality Improvement Unit at the NY State Department of Health Partners with DOH Department as well as groups outside of the DOH to provide managed care plans with data, resources, and information on resources that are available. Bevery Pasley Full Interview wma Beverly Pasley Interview mp3 Featured Employer Champions Dr. Cynthia Reddeck-LiDestri Wellness Program Director LiDestri Foods, Inc. Fairport, NY LiDestri Foods provides extended cessation services for their employees. LiDestri shows a high return on investment by providing cessation services. Dr. Cynthia Reddeck LiDestri interview Dr. James L. Schuppert Director, Health Services Corning Corporate Medical Department Dr. Schuppert discusses how Corning saves on employee health costs by offering extended health services that include smoking cessation support. Learn how the Corning initiative has become both management and employee accepted by controlling rising health costs using data-driven cost models offering employee enhanced health benefits and incentives. Dr. Schuppert's Full Interview MP3

The New York State Smokers' Quitline features employer champions who provide employee cessation benefits and support. Our featured Champion is Dr. James L. Schuppert of Corning. 

Employer Recommendations

According to the Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, there are several key recommendations for effective tobacco cessation services including:

1. Cover at least four (4) counseling sessions.
   (The Public Health Service guideline recommends telephone based counseling, 4 to 6 sessions.)
2. Cover nicotine replacement therapies (NRT).
   Clients should be eligible for up to 4 to 8 weeks of medication to maintain tobacco abstinence, depending on the medication. To help, the Quitline provides eligible callers with a 2-week starter kit of NRT!
3. Provide counseling and NRT coverage for at least two smoking attempts per year. Most quitters go back to smoking within the first 3 months of quitting, therefore enrollment into cessations services should be made available to clients twice a year, with a minimum of 3 months between enrollments. 

Visit this employer section often as we add new features including:

• Learn the benefits of tobacco cessation coverage
• Find links to resouces and your employer tool-kit
• Learn how you can save with your
  tobacco benefit calculator