Heart Healthy at WTHS
Simon’s Heart Organization Provides Free Heart Screenings to Washington Township Students
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP – Washington Township youth ages 12 to 19 had the opportunity to receive an invaluable health check when Simon’s Heart brought its free heart screenings to students on Saturday at Washington Township High School.
The screenings were made possible thanks to a partnership between Jefferson Hospital Washington Township, Washington Township High School, the Sharp family in memory of Nadiir King, and Simon’s Heart – a non-profit organization started by the family of Simon Sudman, who was not yet four months old when he died of sudden infant death syndrome.
The Sharp family wanted to honor the memory of King, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 14 from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a condition that causes parts of the heart muscle to thicken, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood regularly. Alice Sharp’s son was friends with King – who would have graduated with the class of 2018 – and she contacted WTHS last year hoping to set up a screening day with the Simon's Fund team. Plans came together at the end of last school year, with the date finalized in September. Screenings ran from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the WTHS 11/12 gymnasiums on Saturday, with 192 students sitting for evaluations.
Students and families had to pre-register online and received appointment times. They processed through four different stations, starting with intake with WTHS athletic trainers Tanya Dargusch and Eric Schwartz. WTHS Jr. ROTC cadets helped transition students from stations that included a health history evaluation, the electrocardiogram (ECG), a heart auscultation, and then a consultation. If abnormalities were found in the ECG, the students were escorted by volunteers and WTHS school nurses Jenny Hudock and Terry Cotton to be seen by one of the five cardiologists on hand. Based upon history, ECG results and vital signs, the cardiologists determined whether an on-site echocardiogram was to be performed. According to Cotton, approximately five of the 192 students were referred for further evaluation and follow-ups.
The screenings were intended for students who never had received an EKG exam or been examined by a cardiologist.
- WTPS -