The following article describes highlights from the skill building workshop “Program implementation—from plans to reality”. This workshop was conducted by Sallie Dacey, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, and Risé Krejci, Pacific Health Systems.

PacifiCare Health Systems, Inc (PHS) addresses key health issues through the research and development of health improvement strategies designed to complement the care provided by a robust network of dedicated health care providers. To address the national health care need to reduce smoking prevalence, PacifiCare developed the StopSmoking Program, a tobacco control program based on the theoretical behaviour change model. The StopSmoking program is designed as a self directed, multicomponent intervention utilising telephonic case management, and includes a “quit kit” consisting of self help “quit” booklets, videotape, audiotape, and “urge tamer” tools. Each participant receives an average of 7–14 support telephone calls by a trained smoking cessation counsellor for a period of one year. Currently, the program has a one year, self reported quit rate above 40% (smoke free for the previous 30 days at 12 months).

PHS is one of the nation's leading managed health care services companies. Primary operations include managed care products for employer groups and Medicare beneficiaries in nine states and Guam serving approximately 3.6 million members. Other specialty managed care operations include life and health insurance, behavioural health services, dental and vision services, pharmacy benefits management and Medicare+Choice management services. The PHS vision is to represent “an organisation of dedicated people committed to improving the quality of those lives we touch”.

The purpose of the workshop is to define the basic steps for implementing a tobacco control program in a network model, managed care organisation. I will describe what PacifiCare feels are the keys to a successful implementation and will provide a sample of an implementation project plan incorporating these steps. …