FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, September 09, 2008

CONTACT:
Cindy Hickey, 330-489-1212
cindy.hickey@cantonmercy.org

Mercy Offers Free Diabetes Support Group

Mercy Medical Center’s Diabetes Education Program is offering a free adult and pediatric diabetes support group from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18 at Mercy Medical Center in the Ambulatory Care Center Auditorium. Guest speaker Arvind Y. Krishna, M.D., endocrinologist, will discuss ways patients can better manage diabetes in their daily lives.

Diabetes, a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, affects approximately 21 million children and adults in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. Mercy established free adult and pediatric diabetes support groups where men, women and children living with diabetes and their family members can come together in a supportive environment to learn more about how to manage the disease and cope with everyday issues.

Mercy’s Diabetes Support Groups are free, but reservations are required. For more information or reservations, please call Mercy’s Healthcare Connection at 330-489-1333 or 1-800-223-8662.

Mercy Medical Center, a nonprofit corporation of the Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals Health System, operates a 476-bed hospital serving Stark, Carroll, Wayne, Holmes and Tuscarawas Counties and parts of Southeastern Ohio. It has 550 physicians on its Medical Staff and employs 2,500 people. Mercy operates outpatient health centers in Carrollton, Jackson Township, Lake Township, Louisville, North Canton and Plain Township. A Catholic hospital, Mercy Medical Center upholds the mission and philosophy of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and continues to be responsive to the needs of the community, including the provision of care to all, regardless of their ability to pay. For more information, see www.cantonmercy.com.