Free Teen Athlete Heart Screenings October 14

Local teens who participate in school and community sports can be screened for potentially fatal genetic heart conditions on Saturday, October 14, from 8 am to noon at St. John’s Medical Center.

Medical studies suggest the value of a heart screening at around age 15 for youth involved in athletics.

At the clinics, high school athletes ages 14-18 are screened for genetic conditions, including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a condition that usually goes undetected. It can be difficult to pick up HCM during a routine sports examination but very easily detected during the painless tests offered during the clinic. Unless cardiac symptoms or history are present (in which case your pediatrician can refer you to a cardiologist for a full work up), a heart screening at around age 15 is all that is needed. Students who participated in the heart screening last year do not need to do it again.

The screening includes a 12-lead ECG and a limited two-dimensional echocardiogram (echo or ultrasound of the heart) to detect HCM, the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. These tests are not included in standard pre-participation sports physical examinations. Both the ECG and echo are noninvasive, painless and can be quite expensive. Due to support from the St. John's Hospital Foundation and Shirley’s Heart Run, St. John's is able to provide this screening at no charge to families. St. John’s is pleased to have Teton County School District as a program participant.

If the screening indicates that additional testing is necessary, St. John's Medical Center is working with Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT, for follow up care.

Dr. William Mullen of St. John’s Cardiology, Dr. Ellen Gallant, and Dr. Jason Su and cardiology residents from the University of Utah Health, volunteered their time to help with the clinic. Dr. Su, who is on the medical staff at St. John’s Medical Center, has a general pediatric cardiology clinic at Primary Children’s and treats children with all forms of congenital cardiovascular disease. His specialty is in noninvasive imaging, specifically cardiac MRI, fetal echocardiography, and 3D echocardiography.

To sign up for a screening, visit our page. Teens and adults interested in volunteering for the event may sign up there as well.

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Media contact: Karen Connelly, 307 739 7380, kconnelly@tetonhospital.org

ABOUT ST. JOHN’S MEDICAL CENTER

St. John's Medical Center in Jackson, Wyoming, offers patient-centered clinical excellence and community wellness services through a full-service hospital, primary care, and specialty physician practices, and a long-term care Living Center.

ABOUT ST. JOHN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

The mission of the St. John’s Hospital Foundation is to secure philanthropic support to advance the mission and strategic objectives of St. John’s Medical Center, including patient-centered care, clinical excellence, and community wellness.