As of November 20, the use of tobacco will be prohibited in and around the Georgetown University Hospital.
According to Kate Alcorn, a media representative for GUH, the policy will affect all properties owned, leased, or rented by the Hospital or its associate, MedStar Health. This includes GUH buildings and the hospital parking lot.
Dr. Joy Drass, the president of GUH, wrote in an email that this policy prohibits all “employees, patients, visitors, vendors, and professionals” from using tobacco products on days when they are on these premises. This includes any Georgetown University professor or student who works at GUH.
According to Alcorn, GUH and MedStar Health have been planning this policy change since last April.
“[The policy is in response to] feedback that we have been getting from our employees through surveys,” Alcorn said. “It is very consistent with our vision for the care of the health for the whole person.”
