Break Your Tobacco Habit with Support from St. Thomas More Hospital

February 24, 2015

(CANON CITY, COLO.) The number one thing you can do to prevent a heart attack is stop smoking! St. Thomas More Hospital (STMH) wants to help you breathe easier and live healthier by offering a free, 13-week tobacco cessation program. This class is modeled after the most successful national smoking cessation programs, and is offered free of charge as acommunity service by the Cardiopulmonary Department. Anyone interested in participating is asked to register by calling 719-285-2010 or visiting us online at www.stmhospital.org/tobacco-free.

The program is for anyone interested in making the life-saving change to quit tobacco use. Classes run from March 5 through May 28, 2015 and are held weekly on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. at STMH in the Community Room, located at 1338 Phay Ave.

There are many health risks involved with smoking - ranging from emphysema, lung and throat cancer to heart disease and stroke. Cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke causes more than 440,000 premature and preventable deaths each year in the United States. It is the mission of STMH to nurture the health of the people in our communities, so we hope that many tobacco users will take advantage of this free opportunity we are extending.

This program is for anyone wanting to quit using tobacco, whether its your first time trying to quit or you have attempted to quit before, said Laurie McKeever, R.T., Respiratory Therapist at STMH. Our goal is to help you understand your addiction to nicotine, and learn ways to control urges. Those who attend this class will be given supportive guidance from me as your program coordinator, as well as from others who are trying to quite as well. The education weprovide is very effective and will help you in journey to becoming tobacco free.

The smoking cessation program offers:

  • 13 weekly meetings that provide education, support and assistance
  • Instructor Laurie McKeever, R.T., 29 years of Cardiopulmonary experience
  • Tools to help you maintain your success after the program is completed
  • Respiratory testing performed throughout the program to track progress
  • Resources and information on how to obtain free nicotine patches and gum

 

Adding a nicotine replacement product to your smoking cessation program is advisable prior to the second week of class because a quit date is set during that week. Participants may receive free nicotine patches by calling the Colorado Quit Line at 1-800-639-7848. Take the first step to becoming tobacco free by calling STMH at 719-285-2010 today!

About St. Thomas More Hospital
St. Thomas More Hospital, a not-for-profit acute care facility, is the cornerstone of health care services for Fremont County and surrounding communities. Hospital services include 24-hour emergency and trauma services with physicians who are board certified in emergency medicine, Centura Health Urgent Care Canon City, long-term care at Progressive Care Center, inpatient acute care, Intensive Care Unit, The Birth Center, diagnostic imaging, surgical services, rehabilitation services, sleep disorder center, wound care and more. The St. Thomas More Physician Group features The Medical Home/Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatric Health Services, Obstetrics/Gynecology, General Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery and the Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy Clinic. St. Thomas More was rated five stars for total knee replacement 2012-2015, and hip fracture treatment 2007-2015 by HealthGrades.St. Thomas More Hospital is supported by Centura Health, the regions leading health care network. For more information, visit www.stmhospital.org.

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