16 HEALTH • November 30, 2015
Hospitals 'tip-toe' into nicotine-free workforces with
new hiring policies \\ By Emily Micucci
C
learly, tobacco use and good health are mutually exclusive. But how far should health
care providers go to get that point across?
Some hospital administrators believe excluding tobacco users from employment
opportunities is a reasonable means for discouraging smoking and other tobacco-
related activities, including those running a handful of Central Massachusetts hospitals.
In October, Marlborough Hospital became the latest to implement a nicotine-free hiring poli-
cy, which involves testing job applicants for nicotine use and eliminating those who test positive
from the hiring process. Applicants who test positive are invited to reapply after 90 days. Those
who are hired are not tested on an ongoing basis for nicotine use, nor are employees who were
hired before the policy was implemented.
TOBACCO-FREE HOSPITALS
Fran Meringolo, director of human resources at
Marlborough Hospital, said a recent ban on hiring
applicants who test positive for nicotine is "the right
thing to do" for healthcare organizations.
PHOTO/MATT VOLPINI
