Kate Kobinsky coordinates the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line, a free, individualized counseling service designed to help Wisconsin smokers quit.
"We provide compassionate help to Wisconsin residents who want to become tobacco-free," Kobinsky said.
Kobinsky heads the Fax to Quit program, which syncs patients with the Quit Line. After a healthcare provider asks a patient about tobacco use and offers assistance, the patient can sign up for Fax to Quit. The Quit Line then calls at a time specified by the patient.
"We know healthcare providers are swamped," Kobinsky said, "so the Quit Line is here to take pressure off them by providing state-of-the-art coaching on how to quit." Research shows an intervention by a doctor plus Quit-Line coaching can quadruple the chances a patient will quit.
Kobinsky was most recently the director of the First Breath program, which helps pregnant women quit smoking.
Kobinsky received her BS in biology and chemistry, her masters in public health and a certification as a health education specialist from UW-La Crosse. She first worked as a health educator for Security Health Plan in Marshfield from 2000-2004, an HMO that covers 27 counties in Wisconsin.
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