Quit smoking for Lent? Ochsner, Chevron can help

Louisiana has one of the highest smoking rates in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To improve lung health and overall wellness, Ochsner Health and Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit have formed a key partnership to create a lung cancer awareness, education, and prevention program.

This initiative launched in November 2021 in St. Tammany Parish, the result of a $50,000 donation from Chevron. Since then, the two organizations have worked together to improve resources and education around smoking cessation and overall lung health.

As a part of these efforts, a public service announcement was produced highlighting the story of Caitlin Hunter, a Chevron employee and Northshore native who lost two family members to lung cancer. “I know firsthand how devastating this disease can be,” said Hunter. “Early detection and intervention are critical when it comes to lung health. Our hope is that by educating our community on the dangers of smoking and giving them the right tools, we can empower people to make their health a priority - and save lives.”

Chevron’s funding is supporting the following program initiatives:

-- Encouraging early testing and diagnostics such as Low-Dose CT scans and Lung Cancer Screening Tests to significantly increase chances of survival from lung cancer in certain high-risk populations. The program provides transportation for those who qualify to go get a lung cancer screening.

--Visits to about a dozen high schools to educate students about the dangers of vaping and smoking and to provide smoking cessation resources.

-- Education on how to identify stressors and triggers leading to smoking habits.

--Smoking cessation tools to identify and utilize healthy mechanisms for managing stress.

This program is a part of Healthy State by 2030, a bold initiative by Ochsner and key public and private partners to improve the state of health for Louisiana and lift national health rankings to the top 40 by 2030. America’s Health Rankings has identified smoking as one of the top 20 drivers of poor health in Louisiana, with about 22% of residents identified as active smokers in 2020. Smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths in the United States every year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It damages nearly every organ and is associated with heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, diabetes, and cancer. With this research in mind, Ochsner and valued partners like Chevron are acting on plans to move the needle on poor health among populations and in locations where help is most needed, through treatment, prevention, and advocacy measures.

The Healthy State plan builds upon Ochsner’s effective smoking cessation program, which combines counseling with medications to create a personalized treatment plan. The program changes participants’ lives by allowing them to imagine healthier futures for themselves. The deadline to enroll in Ochsner’s Smoking Cessation Trust Program is July 11, 2022.

“Ochsner Health is committed to building a healthier region and smoking is a major barrier in improving the overall health of Louisianians,” said Dr. Leonardo Seoane, Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for Ochsner Health. “We are very appreciative of Chevron for joining us in our efforts to reduce smoking rates by 6% statewide by 2030. Chevron’s contribution and collaboration have led to increased interest in our smoking cessation program. We are proud of what we have been able to accomplish together and are determined to keep working to lower smoking rates in our state.”

In addition to this program, Chevron has supported Ochsner Health in the past by investing $32,000 in Lafourche and Terrebonne [arishes to provide crucial resources for individuals with COVID-19.

“Chevron is proud to make this contribution and continue our long-standing partnership with Ochsner Health,” said Leah Brown, Public Affairs Manager for Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit. “From supporting those struggling with the Coronavirus to promoting smoking cessation, together we’ve worked to make a positive difference in the community. Chevron thanks Ochsner for their dedication and daily efforts to improve the health and lives of Louisiana residents.”

If you or a loved one is interested in these life-saving services like smoking cessation, or if you want to learn more about the program, visit www.ochsner.org/quit to schedule an appointment today. To learn more about Ochsner Health’s lung cancer multidisciplinary program and screening, click here. To learn more about Chevron, visit - https://www.chevron.com/.