Morris Hospital brings Rhythm of Our Youth cardiac screening to area high schools

Morris Hospital has announced its Rhythm of Our Youth cardiac screening schedule for the 2024-25 school year.

These screenings will help identify high school students with undiagnosed cardiac abnormalities that could result in sudden cardiac death. The first event was held at Morris High School on Wednesday, Sept. 18.

The schedule for the year is as follows:

· Minooka H.S. (South Campus) – Oct. 29 and 30

· Minooka H.S. (Central Campus) – Feb. 11 and 12

· Wilmington H.S. – Feb. 27

· Seneca H.S. – March 20

Trained volunteers from Morris Hospital will be on-site to perform electrocardiogram screenings free of charge to students who have parental permission to participate. This is a non-invasive, painless test that measures electrical activity of the heart and detects certain abnormalities that can lead to sudden cardiac death. Screenings are typically held during PE or study hall, and can take around three minutes to complete.

Based on results of the screenings, about 3% of students are referred to their physician for a follow-up, and less than 1% are usually found to have a medical problem that requires cardiac intervention. Results are sent home with the student’s parents, and not shared with the school.

Parents must complete an electronic consent form before screening day, which can be found at morrishospital.org/rooy.

Rhythm of Our Youth launched in 2016 as a result of funding from donors, and 11,000 students have been screened through the program.

Sudden cardiac death claims more than 2,000 lives of children and adolescents in the US each year. Most victims of sudden cardiac death have had underying heart conditions that could have been detected through a simple electrocardiogram.