SEE… and save lives!

In our ongoing efforts to impact the lives of more local kids, we are pleased to share that our Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Program conducted a successful pilot test at Gonzales High School of a new outreach program called SEE.  SEE stands for Screen, Educate, Equip and is aimed at preventing sudden cardiac arrest in student athletes, while also educating the student population on what to do if a cardiac event were to occur.

Screen:
In advance, student athletes were sent home with information on the program, a participation consent form, and a brief health history questionnaire. On screening day, 6 screening bays were setup in the gymnasium and volunteers from Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital conducted EKGs on nearly 70 student athletes. Dr. David Ramos, an ER Physician, reviewed each health history with each student and also read their EKG. If no abnormalities were detected in either the EKG or the health history, the screening was complete. If there were any concerns identified, the student was then given a ‘quick look’ echocardiogram to provide a better look at the student’s heart. From there, students were either cleared to play sports, cleared to play with the recommendation of follow up with a physician, or advised to stop playing sports immediately and seek a referral to a pediatric cardiologist before resuming activity. The screening portion of our program was modeled after a very successful Student Athlete Heart Check Program at Beaumont Children’s in Detroit (another CMN Hospital), and we were very fortunate to have two representatives of their program working on site with us for our first screening.

Educate:
In partnership with the American Heart Association, our pilot test school was gifted with three complete sets of the AHA’s CPR in Schools kit. These kits will provide enough resources to train 30 students at one time in hands only CPR (including basic AED training), allowing for the entire campus to be trained over the course of one school year. Incoming students will be training in the coming years, with the goal of having all staff and students trained and prepared should a cardiac event occur.

Equip:
The final component of the SEE Program is to equip the school with AEDs. Previously, Gonzales High had no functioning AEDs on campus, and we were able to provide them with TWO brand new units. One is housed in the gym and another in the main office, with all students being educated on their locations.

It is because of generous donations made to our CMN Hospitals Program that Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital is able to create and implement outreach programs such as SEE, and we are grateful for your support.  

Local kids. Local dollars. Local impact.