SafeBeat Announces Collaboration With Wolfson Children’s Hospital To Provide Life-Saving Heart Screenings For Students In South Georgia And North Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SafeBeat announces collaboration with Wolfson Children’s Hospital to provide life-saving heart screenings for students in South Georgia and North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida – June 28, 2017 - SafeBeat and Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville, Florida, have finalized an agreement with the goal to provide free preventative heart screenings for middle and high-school students in North Florida and South Georgia. “This collaboration will be the first of its kind to offer free preventative heart screenings in such a broad region,” says SafeBeat Executive Director, Sheldon Hill.
The American Heart Association (AHA) states that 350,000 Americans die each year from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), approximately 7,000 of whom are children. Preventative heart screenings are proven to be able to help prevent this tragedy from occurring in children.
SafeBeat, in collaboration with Wolfson Children’s Hospital, will provide preventative heart screenings which include individual/family medical histories, blood pressure, body mass index (height and weight), and a 12-lead electro-cardiogram (EKG). This information further supplies data to help detect/prevent obesity and hypertension. SafeBeat also educates students and educators on emergency preparedness, automatic electronic defibrillator (AED) use, and CPR.
SafeBeat is a national initiative that establishes local heart screening and emergency action planning programs in an effort to prevent sudden cardiac death in area youth. These screenings are provided at no charge so that no child is left out because of the inability to pay for preventative heart screening and education.
Recognized year after year as one of America's Best Children's Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, 216-bed Wolfson Children's Hospital is the only full-service tertiary hospital for children in the region, serving North Florida, South Georgia and beyond. Wolfson Children’s Hospital provides care for all children, regardless of their ability to pay.
About Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville
Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, is a part of Baptist Health, Northeast Florida’s most comprehensive health system serving every stage of life. Wolfson Children’s is the only hospital just for kids in Northeast Florida and serves as the region’s pediatric referral center. Staffed 24/7 by pediatric nurses and other healthcare professionals specially trained to work with children, the 216-bed, patient- and family-centered hospital features the latest pediatric medical technology in a welcoming, child-friendly environment. At Wolfson Children’s, nationally recognized pediatric specialists representing nearly every medical and surgical specialty work with pediatricians to provide care for children of all ages with congenital heart conditions, cancer, neurological disorders, diabetes and endocrinology disorders, orthopaedic conditions, behavioral health conditions, and more. Wolfson Children’s pediatric partners include Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Jacksonville, the University of Florida College of Medicine—Jacksonville, and Mayo Clinic Florida. For additional information, please visit wolfsonchildrens.org.
About Wolfson Children’s at Southeast Georgia Health System
Wolfson Children’s at Southeast Georgia Health System serves children in the South Georgia area, enhancing their access to pediatric specialists and services. Opened in September 2013, Wolfson Children’s at Southeast Georgia Health System provides outpatient pediatric subspecialty care in cardiology, urology, hematology/oncology, otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat), general surgery and physical, speech and occupational therapies. The Specialty Center is located on the Brunswick campus of Southeast Georgia Health System. For more information, visit sghs.org/wolfsonchildrens.
School superintendents, principals, or athletic directors interested in bringing this life-saving initiative to your district, please reach out to info@safebeat.org.
SafeBeat is made possible by our collaborative healthcare partners, and the support of national, regional, and local sponsors. To find out more how your organization can partner with us to save lives, please contact us at info@safebeat.org.
CONTACT:
Vikki Mioduszewski, APR
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Wolfson Children's Hospital
Vikki.Mioduszewski@bmcjax.com
O: 904.202.5122 • C: 904.304.0041
www.wolfsonchildrens.org
For more information on SafeBeat, visit www.safebeat.org.
