State health commissioner to present ‘Fired Up To Quit: Helping Patients Beat Tobacco Addiction’ to region’s health care community

Indiana State Health Commissioner Judith A. Monroe, M.D., FAAFP, will present “Fired Up To Quit: Helping Patients Beat Tobacco Addiction” at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at the Kathryn Weil Center for Education.

Dr. Monroe’s program is for health care providers including physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and medical/nursing/pharmacy students. During her presentation, area health care providers will learn how to improve processes to identify smokers in clinical practice; advise all smokers to quit; understand the added risk of tobacco addiction to premature birth; and understand how to develop a quit plan that incorporates medical and public health strategies.

Her visit to Lafayette has been coordinated through the Lafayette Medical Education Foundation (LMEF).

“Tobacco use is the world's leading cause of death. The toll of tobacco on our community is among the highest in the country. All health care professionals need to take more active roles in combating tobacco addiction in our community," said Wael Harb, M.D., coordinator for LMEF.

In addition to being state health commissioner, Dr. Monroe serves as president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and serves on the board of directors for the Public Health Accreditation Board. She has focused on health promotion and prevention, quality improvement, health reform and preparedness during her tenure as health commissioner. She chairs the Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Executive Board and participated in the Partnership for Prevention Call for ACTTION (Access to Cessation Treatment of Tobacco In Our Nation) Summit in Washington, D.C. in November 2008.

Dr. Monroe received her medical degree from the University of Maryland and completed her internship in family medicine at the University of Cincinnati. Following her residency, she fulfilled a four-year National Health Service Corps commitment by practicing in Appalachia before joining the faculty at Indiana University and subsequently directing the Family Medicine Residency Program and Primary Care Center at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis.

The Kathryn Weil Center for Education is located in the Medical Arts Building, 415 N. 26th St., Suite 400 on the campus of Home Hospital in Lafayette.

This program is free, but registration is required and can be made by calling the center at (765) 449-5133.-30-