Community Corner
Screens for Teens at College of Lake County
The Max Schewitz
Foundation kicks off its sixth year of Screens for Teens, an EKG-based
cardiac screening program on Sept. 11, 2013 at College of Lake County. Students receive a free EKG and some also
receive a free echocardiogram. The Foundation will offer heart checks to
students at seven high schools and the College of Lake County this fall, with
the potential of reaching over 14,000 students before Thanksgiving. The
program’s mission is to identify students who are at risk of sudden cardiac death
(SCD) before they are stricken so they can obtain treatment.
“At each school, we find at least one student that needs further
testing,” said Mary Beth Schewitz, executive director of The Max Schewitz Foundation.
“Online registration is now open for our fall test schools. We urge parents to
visit www.ekgyourteen.org to register
their children for this painless, quick, and non-invasive test. Last year
alone, two
young adults had open-heart surgery to correct defects often found on autopsy. Thanks to Screens for Teens, their defect was
detected before it was too late.”
In 2005, Max died suddenly and unexpectedly at age 20 from an
undiagnosed cardiac condition. Like so many others victims of SCD, Max had no previous
medical conditions or warning signs. If he had been
diagnosed, life-saving treatments could have been implemented.
Find out what's happening in Grayslakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Screens for Teens EKGs and echocardiograms are interpreted on site
by a team of cardiologists under the direction of Dr. Eli Lavie, Medical Director of the Max Schewitz Foundation. The Foundation's
hope is that EKG tests will become a part of student’s routine physical exams.
2013 Screens for Teens testing dates:
Find out what's happening in Grayslakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- College of Lake County: 9/11/13
- St. Viator High School: 9/18/13
- Vernon Hills High School: 9/25/13
- Stevenson High School: 10/8/13-10/10/13
- Antioch High School: 10/16/13
- Glenbrook South High School: 10/23/13
- Highland Park High School: 10/29/13
- Lake Zurich Hugh School: 11/6/13
To learn more, call Mary Beth
Schewitz, executive director at (847) 234-2206 or follow us on Twitter and Facebook or visit: www.ekgyourteen.org.
