(Sharon, PA – November 12, 2020) On Thursday, November 19, smokers nationwide will be encouraged to quit smoking as part of the annual Great American Smokeout presented by the American Cancer Society.  The nationwide effort to help people quit smoking takes place the third Thursday of every November.

In recognition of this day and as part of a collaborative effort, Sharon Regional Medical Center along with Pharmacist, Diana Eade of Walberg Family Pharmacy in Mercer,  Katie Gassner of Mercer County’s Behavioral Health Commission and Service Provider for Nicotine Free Northwest Pennsylvania  will begin offering NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) to patients of Sharon Regional Medical Center upon request. 

This project will begin on November 19th and last about 3 months with funding by the PA Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Programs through Master Settlement Agreement Dollars.  As part of this project, a PA Free Quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) referral will also be provided.

The annual event challenges people to stop smoking for at least 24 hours with the goal that the decision not to smoke will last longer, ideally forever. Sharon Regional has been a part of the Great American Smokeout for several years, seeing life-changing results in the process.

For more information on this program, please call Kim Hunchuk, Sharon Regional Transition of Care Coordinator at 724-983-3986 or Katie Gassner, MCBHC at 724-662-1550, ext. 147.

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About Sharon Regional Medical Center

Sharon Regional Medical Center is your community health care provider; a 184-bed licensed, acute care hospital with 19 satellite centers throughout the region.  As a Joint Commission accredited hospital, Sharon Regional Medical Center proudly offers specialized services including the Heart and Vascular Center, emergency heart attack/stroke treatment, cancer care, orthopedics/sports medicine, minimally invasive surgery, emergency care, a women's center, accredited bariatric center and a breast care center. Visit www.sharonregionalmedical.org.

About Steward Health Care

Steward Health Care is the largest private, for-profit health care network in the United States. The company is owned and led by a management team of Steward physicians.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Steward employs more than 37,000 health care professionals and operates 36 hospitals across the United States and in the country of Malta which regularly receive awards for quality and safety. The Steward network includes multiple urgent care centers and skilled nursing facilities, substantial behavioral health services, more than 7,000 beds under management, and approximately 2.2 million full risk covered lives through the company's managed care and health insurance services.

The Steward Health Care Network includes more than 5,000 physicians across 800 communities who help to provide more than 12 million patient encounters annually. Steward Medical Group, the company's employed physician group, provides more than six million patient encounters per year. The Steward Hospital Group operates hospitals in Malta and nine states across the U.S., including Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah. For more information, visit www.steward.org.