Sudden Cardiac Arrest Checks for Students
Ohio County Health Department (OCHD) School Health Liaison Regina Crouch partnered with a local school nurse, Jamie Works, to scan students for cardiac conditions. MCore Foundation provided a mobile unit and checked students ages 12-18 for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). According to the MCore Foundation, SCA in youth is not uncommon.
Because of HFI funding, MCore Foundation checked 32 students. They identified three students for follow-up testing and one student with a critical heart condition. According to OCHD Administrator Penny Koons, identifying a critical case is important to the Ohio County community. In the past, an Ohio County student lost their life to SCA, so preventing future death is of utmost importance. OCHD is hosting another SCA check with MCore Foundation this fall, and another clinic is scheduled for 2025. Clinics will be hosted biyearly until all students have been checked. The goal is to have all Ohio County students checked before age 15.
