FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

cindy.hickey@csauh.com

Canton, Ohio: Mercy Medical Center's Behavioral Health Department, in conjunction with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Stark County Chapter and Crisis Intervention Center of Stark County, is offering a community education program titled, "How Do I Know if My Loved One Needs Help?" In recognition of National Mental Health Month, this free program will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27 in Mercy Hall Auditorium.

Guest speakers Krutarth Choksi, M.D., medical director of Behavioral Health Services at Mercy Medical Center, Jane James, executive director of NAMI Stark County, and Carole Vesely, community education manager at the Crisis Intervention Center of Stark County, will discuss the signs and symptoms of mental illness and share information about local available resources. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information or reservations, call Mercy's Healthcare Connection at 330-489-1333 or 800-223-8662. Mental Health Month was created more than 50 years ago to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the importance of mental wellness for all.

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 and North Canton. 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.