University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System, will host an in-person five-session summer/fall workshop titled “Breathe Again: A Journey to a Smoke-Free and Healthier YOU,” designed to help smokers who wish to quit. The class will be offered once per month at UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, 100 Brown Street, from 1 to 3 p.m., beginning Tuesday, July 23. Sessions will run through May. There is no charge for the course, but registration is required.

Led by Sandra Wilson-Hypes, Health Educator for University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, this course will offer guidance, information, tools and resources to help participants quit smoking. Course topics include Smoking 101 on July 23, creating a quit-smoking plan on August 27, information on the various health risks of smoking on September 24, discussion on the challenges to quitting smoking on October 29 and information, tools and resources to staying smoke free on November 12. Attendance in all five sessions of the course is encouraged but not required.

Participants who complete the course and quit smoking can expect:

Improved health
To gain a deeper understanding of the addiction of smoking and its effects on your health
Improvement in mood or with symptoms of depression
A reduced need for doctors’ visits or hospitalization
Connection with a community of individuals on the same journey
To learn effective strategies to overcome cravings and triggers
Increased chances of achieving long-term success in quitting smoking

“If you are taking steps to prioritize your health, quitting smoking is a crucial step toward improving your overall health and well-being,” said Wilson-Hypes. “By enrolling in a smoking cessation course, you can gain the necessary guidance and support to successfully break free from the habit and embrace a healthier lifestyle.”

Classes are open to all smokers. Family members and caretakers are encouraged to participate as well. Register online at umshoreregional.org/health-education and click on the date(s) of the course you wish to attend in the calendar provided or call Wilson-Hypes at 410-778-7668, ext. 5679.

About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health

A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.