Ensure Your Hospital or Healthcare Organization's Recognition for Addressing Tobacco: Applications Open for the 2021 GSSE Program
The Gold Star Standards of Excellence program recognizes Maine’s hospitals and healthcare organizations that are addressing smoking and tobacco use by creating and maintaining smoke and tobacco-free policies as well as implementing procedures that support tobacco-free lifestyles. As leaders in health care, these entities seek to optimize the health of patients and the surrounding community; hospitals and healthcare organizations provide key community support and are exemplary role models of healthy behaviors. 

All Maine hospitals and healthcare organizations are encouraged to apply for recognition. Applicants are eligible to receive one of the following awards depending on the number of standards reached. Please click the link below to learn more details about the standards.

BRONZE AWARD
SILVER AWARD
GOLD AWARD
PLATINUM AWARD

Information regarding the standards, award levels, and individual nomination process can all be found here within the respective application.
Previous GSSE Awardees
Please read for important application information

This year, previous awardees will submit their application review online. This will give the opportunity to provide information on updates and/or confirm no changes were made to the application.

Hospital (previous) applicants click here!
Healthcare (previous) applicants click here!

New applicants must complete a full application and submit with supporting documentation to BreatheEasy. See Below
New GSSE Applicants
If you are new to the GSSE program, please follow the links below to complete an application. Guidance documents are available that provide sample answers. Once complete, submit to breatheeasy@mainehealth.org with all required additional documents (i.e. tobacco-free policy).

For the Hospital application CLICK HERE.

For the Healthcare Organization application CLICK HERE.


Important Dates!
APPLICATIONS
RELEASED!
Applications & guidance documents are now available for download via
APPLICATIONS
DUE!
Please email your completed application, supporting documents & questions!
GSSE AWARDS!
Awardees will be notified of award levels the week of November 8nd. 

Broad promotion of awardees will occur during the week of the Great American Smokeout. (November 15th)


** Due to COVID-19 pandemic, there will not be an awards celebration.**
Nominate an Individual or Program as a Gold Star Champion
In addition to recognizing organizations and institutions for their progress in the tobacco-free movement, we also want to acknowledge the individual champions of smoke and tobacco-free policies and lifestyles. Please nominate any individual(s), program or unique approaches that should be publicly recognized during our annual conference.
Click Here for the application!
Please visit our website or
email BreatheEasy@MaineHealth.org for more information.

If you would like assistance from your local District Tobacco Prevention Partner (DTPP), please click HERE for a listing of DTPPs across the State! DTPPs support each community in Maine and can provide technical assistance in addressing tobacco use and exposure in key environments.
The Breathe Easy Tobacco-Free Hospital Initiative is a program of the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence supported by funding from Maine Prevention Services, Maine CDC, DHHS.