Advancing Tobacco Cessation Together

Dear NAQC Community,

As we look forward to 2025, the North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC) remains steadfast in its mission to maximize access, use, and effectiveness of quitlines. Currently, NAQC's Board is responsible for the management of the organization including overseeing Board elections, developing plans to re-engage the Advisory Council, and working to identify a leader to serve as NAQC’s next President and CEO. Thanks to the unwavering support our members, NAQC remains poised to advance our strategic vision and make significant strides in population-based tobacco cessation.

Committed to empowering NAQC's members with information and resources, we have assembled recent resources and website pages from the past year designed to support your efforts and help keep you abreast of the latest developments in our field. You can access these important resources here.

Strategic Vision 2025:

In recent years, NAQC has focused on three strategic areas to advance population-based tobacco cessation:

● Expanding Medicaid Coverage: We are committed to supporting the expansion of Medicaid coverage and reimbursement for tobacco cessation services, including quitlines. By reducing barriers to access, advocating for enhanced federal funding, and launching state outreach campaigns, we aim to ensure that all individuals have equitable access to quitline services.

● Reducing Disparities: NAQC will collaborate with key partners to expand the utilization of quitline services among populations most disproportionately affected by tobacco. Through targeted initiatives and innovative strategies, we strive to address tobacco-related disparities and promote health equity.

● Evolving Technology Services: In an increasingly digital world, NAQC recognizes the importance of leveraging evolving technology to advance quitline services. We are dedicated to identifying and sharing best practices in technology-driven cessation services, empowering our community to harness the power of technology for greater impact.

Strategic Goals and Program Objectives:

Aligned with our strategic vision, NAQC has established clear goals and program objectives to guide our efforts:

Goal 1: Increase the use of quitline services in North America.

Goal 2: Increase the capacity of quitline services in North America.

Goal 3: Increase the quality and cultural appropriateness of quitlines in North America.

NAQC works to equip our members with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to adapt to a rapidly changing environment and achieve these goals.

Advisory Council Leadership:

The NAQC Advisory Council plays an instrumental role in supporting our strategic goals and program objectives. We are pleased to announce that we have new Advisory Council members joining us this year. These tobacco control leaders serve a three-year term and represent quitline funders, service providers, researchers and national organizations.

New NAQC Staff Member:

We are also excited to announce that we have a new member of the NAQC team. Joyce Swetlick will serve as Senior Program Manager, responsible for discussion groups, technical assistance, and fulfillment of requests on public-private partnerships and questline sustainability. Through her experience, as the Director of Tobacco Cessation with the NC Public Health Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch for fifteen years, Joyce has a wealth of background and knowledge to share. She has expertise in Quality Improvement and has integrated tobacco treatment in various healthcare settings. Previously, Joyce launched the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line and managed community projects for the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation. She holds a Master’s in Public Health from UNC Gillings School and is a director of the Duke-UNC Tobacco Treatment Specialist Credentialing Program.

In closing, as we work towards our shared vision of a tobacco-free future, NAQC remains dedicated to providing a forum for networking, problem-solving, and information exchange. Together, we will continue to advance key strategies and innovations nationwide, ensure continuous quality improvement and address tobacco-related disparities.

Sincerely,

North American Quitline Consortium Board of Directors