Free Cardiac Testing Offered at CLC, Local High Schools

The below information came from a College of Lake County press release. 

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.  

• St. Viator High School on Sept. 18 
  
• Vernon Hills High School on Sept. 25
  
• Stevenson High School: Oct. 8 through Oct. 10 
  
• Antioch High School: Oct. 16
  
• Glenbrook South High School: Oct. 23
  
• Highland Park High School: Oct. 29
  
• Lake Zurich Hugh School: Nov. 6
  

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. 

 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.