Just 15 when she started smoking, Sue Farrell made up her mind this year to quit.

The timing couldn't have been better for the 53-year-old South Holland resident as her workplace, St. Margaret Mercy hospital in Hammond, will go completely smoke-free in late November as part of a pact with several region hospitals.

Already banned inside the building, smoking will be prohibited everywhere on the grounds, including in cars parked in the lot.

Farrell already had decided to quit smoking before the ban was announced in a pact with other Northwest Indiana hospitals pledging to go smoke-free by Nov. 20.

Joining the pact were Pinnacle Hospital in Merrillville, the Methodist Hospitals in Merrillville and Gary, and the Sisters of St. Francis Healthcare system, with hospitals in Michigan City, Crown Point and Dyer in addition to the St. Margaret Mercy campus in Hammond.

The local hospitals' move was part of an overall effort by Indiana hospitals to focus on wellness.

Six public health measures, including smoking cessation, have been targeted for statewide improvement by Indiana hospitals to elevate Indiana's health status, said Douglas Leonard, president of the Indiana Hospitals Association, which is leading the effort.

"It's time to stop acting like we can't do anything about rising health care costs," Leonard said.

Sisters of St. Francis hospital system spokeswoman Maria Ramos said the best place to begin promoting wellness within the community is on the grounds of local hospitals.

"By focusing on our facilities and our employees, we can start here first and spread the message through the community," Ramos said.

To help quit after 38 year of smoking, Farrell sought the hospital's help.

"I had bad days like everyone does in the beginning," Farrell said.

She slipped back to smoking once, mistakenly thinking just one cigarette would get her through a stressful time.

Workplace programs helped get her to the nearly four-month mark without a cigarette, Farrell said.