title: From Policy to Practice: Tobacco Use Cessation for Employees in the Veterans Health Administration.
abstract: To describe a comprehensive approach to increase tobacco use cessation in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employee population.
  
  
  
  The approach included: 1) national policy; 2) a pilot tobacco use cessation program; and 3) two operational surveys to assess system-wide tobacco use cessation service provision.
  
  
  
  The proportion of VHA facilities offering a comprehensive tobacco use cessation program increased from 51% in 2010 to 72% in 2014, with 83% of facilities providing nicotine replacement therapy to employees. The WIN by Quitting Tobacco program was successful; employees who participated in the pilot program quit tobacco at high rates (64% at 1 month post quit date).
  
  
  
  From policy to practice, the comprehensive approach to tobacco use cessation in VHA was successful and may serve as a model for future workplace health promotion and occupational safety and health initiatives.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Health Administration, Office of Public Health (Dr Schult, Ms Kelly, Ms Schmunk, and Dr Awosika), Washington, D.C.; University of Minnesota School of Medicine (Dr Awosika) and School of Public Health (Dr Schult), Minneapolis.
authors.forename: Tamara M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Schult
authors.forename: Quin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Sandra K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Schmunk
authors.forename: Ebi R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Awosika
mesh_terms: D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D009786:Occupational Health Services; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D020340:Tobacco Use Cessation; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D058014:Veterans Health; D017132:Workplace