Breathe Easy: We Did it Again

Date: 05/08/2025

Bangor, Maine – Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center is proud to be recognized for achieving the Platinum Level in the 2025 Gold Star Standards of Excellence program for efforts to prohibit smoking and tobacco use on campus and addressing patient tobacco use. This is the twelfth year the medical center is participating in this initiative and the fifth time receiving Platinum recognition, showing a longstanding commitment to addressing tobacco use and exposure.
 
The annual Gold Star Standards of Excellence Program, part of the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence’s Breathe Easy Initiative recognizes healthcare and educational organizations for efforts to address tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure.
 
Amy McClary, RN, patient navigator, Norther Light Lung Cancer Screening Program and Cardiothoracic Surgery, gives her thoughts on this award, “At Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, we recognize the vital importance of respiratory health and are committed to addressing the alarming connection between tobacco use and cancer. With more than 40% of cancers in the United States linked to tobacco consumption, our organization strives to maintain a tobacco-free environment from all angles. We are dedicated to assisting individuals in overcoming tobacco dependence and ensuring that former smokers and vapers remain tobacco-free, contributing to a healthier future for our community.”
 
Organizations recognized at the Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels are based on best practice criteria such as a smoke and tobacco-free campus policy, annual screening for tobacco use, referral to tobacco treatment, and supporting employee education related to tobacco treatment.

The Breathe Easy Initiative is dedicated to providing Maine’s hospitals with the information and resources needed to make all organizations smoke and tobacco-free. The initiative is supported through a grant from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Learn more at BreatheEasyMaine.org.
 
Members of the media wishing to speak with Amy may contact Marketing and Communications at 207.973.9530 or emmcmediarequest@northernlight.org