SOUTHAVEN, Miss., July 13, 2009 – Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto will host a free smoking cessation class beginning Tuesday, July 21, at 5:30 p.m.

Anyone with a desire to stop smoking or using smokeless tobacco products is welcome to participate in the one-hour classes. The class meets every Tuesday night at Baptist DeSoto for six weeks.

“We provide practical, medication-free tactics for participants to implement to help alleviate their nicotine addiction,” said Carolyn Melton, cardiac rehab nurse manager at Baptist DeSoto. “In the open forum setting, I facilitate discussion, address participants’ specific needs and answer questions regarding tobacco consumption and treatment.”

Baptist DeSoto is a 339-bed hospital that offers diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation services. In 2001, the hospital completed an expansion project that nearly doubled its size, expanded its labor and delivery services and added open-heart surgery and radiation therapy. In April 2001, the Baptist DeSoto Outpatient Diagnostic Center and Women’s Center opened, which houses DeSoto County’s first open MRI, mammography services and other diagnostic tools. In November 2006, Baptist DeSoto opened a new, 11-story tower, featuring all-private rooms, expanded operating suites and a new emergency room.

To register for the smoking cessation class or obtain more information, please contact Carolyn Melton at 662-772-2205. Limited space is available.

For more information about Baptist DeSoto, please call 662-772-4000 or visit desoto.baptistonline.org.

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