Hill Country Memorial is teaming up with Austin Heart Cardiology to offer SCORE screenings for all area youth, with the first event scheduled for Tuesday, November 29, from 4:30-7:00 p.m.
According to Amy Montgomery, RN, HCM Cardiac Rehab, this is a welcome return of a community program that was first offered in 2013 by Kevin Gallagher, MD, Cardiology.
“The goal is still to provide free heart screenings to our youth,” Montgomery said. “Sudden cardiac death in any child, especially an athlete, is rare but devastating.”
One of the issues screened for is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, commonly known as an enlarged heart. It is the leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest in active teens.
“Often the condition is congenital, and presents no obvious symptoms that a child recognizes,” she said. “So you may not know until a bad incident happens, such as going into arrest during a sports activity.”
Typically, a screening can be done in 20 minutes and includes taking vital signs, administering an electrocardiogram (EKG), and a limited ultrasound of the heart.
“They're not looking at every single issue in the heart,” she said. “But we are looking for those major issues that would show up.”
The physicians will discuss the results of the test with the family immediately following the screening. Should something suggestive arise, the family will be referred to a pediatric cardiologist.
Montgomery emphasized that the SCORE screenings are open to all area youth, in public, private, or home school, in any of the counties served by HCM. There is no charge for the screening, although reservations must be made by calling (830) 990-1886 in advance. A parent or guardian must be present.
The program is offered for students ages 14 to 18, as any problems tend to appear during high activity levels associated with sports and teens. That includes activities outside of sports, such as band, dance, and 4-H.
Montgomery urges all area families with students that age to take advantage of this program.
“While cities do offer similar screenings, it is not common to have this available in a community hospital. Our goal is to help prevent these incidents from happening to our children.”
Cardiologists from Austin Heart Cardiology are donating their time to conduct the screenings. They are Kevin Gallagher, MD; Noah Greene, MD; and Matthew Jepson, MD.