Morris Hospital Brings Rhythm of Our Youth Cardiac Screening to Area High Schools
August 19, 2024, MORRIS, IL – Morris Hospital has announced its Rhythm of Our Youth cardiac screening schedule for the 2024-25 school year. The purpose of the screening is to identify high school students who have an undiagnosed cardiac abnormality that could result in sudden cardiac death.
Rhythm of Our Youth is scheduled at the following schools during the 2024-25 school year:
- Coal City H.S. – September 12, 2024
- Morris H.S. – September 18, 2024
- Minooka H.S. (South Campus) – October 29 & 30, 2024
- Minooka H.S. (Central Campus) – February 11 & 12, 2025
- Wilmington H.S. – February 27, 2025
- Seneca H.S. – March 20, 2025
On the screening day, 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 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 Foundation. Since then, over 11,000 area high school students have been screened through the program. The screening was held at Dwight, Ottawa, and Reed-Custer high schools last school year.
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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