FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 16, 2008

CONTACT:
Cindy Hickey, Public Relations
330-489-1212
cindy.hickey@csauh.com

Mercy Sleep Center To Offer Free Sleep Seminar
Community Event Will Focus on Options for People Who Cannot Tolerate CPAP

Canton, Ohio: The Mercy Sleep Center will offer an informative talk about sleep disorders and treatments on Tues., May 6 at 7 p.m. in the Mercy Hall auditorium.

Alan Rudick, D.O., medical director of Mercy's sleep center, will discuss options for individuals with obstructive sleep apnea who cannot tolerate a CPAP machine. The event will also include a Q & A session with Dr. Rudick.

The seminar is free and open to the public. However, reservations are required and can be made by calling the Mercy Healthcare Connection at 330-489-1333 or 800-223-8662.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), more than 70 million individuals in the U.S., including children and the elderly, have a sleep disorder. Most are unaware of it or choose not to seek help.

A National Sleep Foundation poll in 2002 found that 74 percent of American adults experience a sleep problem a few nights a week or more. About 39 percent get less than seven hours of sleep each weeknight, and more than one in three (37 percent) are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with daily activities.

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. For more information, see www.cantonmercy.com.