Headline: OHSU to go smoke-free

You can bet we will soon see a scene at OHSU looking as what now happens at the Smoke Free Salem Hospital and that what I first thought was a Fire Drill.

Then I discovered it was only the many Smoker Employees fleeing the building in droves and scurrying across the back parking lot to the adjoining City Park, where they can Enjoy their Cigarettes to their Hearts content.

Yep, the shift schedule determines the break schedule and that is when the elevators start buzzing as many employees from all seven floors seek to leave the Smoke Free property.

Doctors, Nurses, Aides, Food Service staff and orderlies alike, all dashing though the parked cars with some even still wearing their soiled Surgical garb. This includes those who hadn't bothered to remove their Booties and Silly Hats.

Boom, all of a sudden gobs of staff schlepping off in day or dark of night to enjoy a quick smoke under a tree or roof over-hang should the weather be foul.

Imagine the Energy Lost in operating the many Elevators involved in these massive escapes alone, not to mention the time wasted by all these employees running from the scene. I wonder how many have sprained and ankle as they leaped through the bushes in search of smokers freedom.

My questions are today: With the size of the OHSU campus how far will the staff need to travel before they can light up and how much higher will this drive our co-pays?