Morris Hospital Announces Rhythm of Our Youth Cardiac Screening at Area High Schools
January 17, 2025, MORRIS, IL – Morris Hospital has announced its Rhythm of Our Youth cardiac screening schedule for the second semester of the 2024-25 school year. The purpose of the free screening is to identify high school students who have an undiagnosed cardiac abnormality that could result in sudden cardiac death.
The screening will be offered at Minooka H.S. (Central Campus) on February 11 and 12, Wilmington H.S. on February 27, and Seneca H.S. on March 20.
On the day of the screening, a team of specially trained volunteers from Morris Hospital will be on site at the scheduled high school to perform electrocardiogram (ECG) screenings free of charge to students who have received parental permission to participate. An electrocardiogram is a non-invasive, painless test that measures the electrical activity of the heart and detects certain heart abnormalities that can lead to sudden cardiac death.
Screenings are typically held during PE class or study hall, depending on student schedules. The test takes about three minutes to complete.
Based on results of the screenings, about 3 percent of students are referred to their physician for additional follow-up. Typically, less than 1 percent are found to have a medical problem that requires cardiac intervention. Results are sent home to the student’s parents and are not shared with the school.
Parents must complete an electronic consent form prior to the screening day in order for their student to participate. The form can be found at www.morrishospital.org/rooy.
Morris Hospital launched Rhythm of Our Youth in 2016 as a result of funding provided by generous donors to the Morris Hospital Auxiliary and Foundation. Since then, over 12,000 area high school students have been screened through the program. During the fall semester of the current school year, Rhythm of Our Youth was held at Coal City, Morris and Minooka (South Campus) high schools. Last school year, the screening was held at Dwight, Ottawa, and Reed-Custer high schools.
Sudden cardiac death claims more than 2,000 lives of children and adolescents in the United States each year. Most victims of sudden cardiac death have had underlying heart conditions that could have been detected through a simple ECG.
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