VANCOUVER – WSU Vancouver nursing students are partnering to offer free advanced heart screenings to student athletes in Clark County.
The screenings aim to detect hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a serious heart condition that is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. HCM exists in roughly one out of every 500 individuals. Approximately one case of sudden cardiac death occurs every three days in organized youth sports across the United States.
“Our students are volunteering at the Young Champions Heart Screening Clinic because they want a better sense of how important it is to carefully screen youth athletes,” said Melody Rasmor, clinical assistant professor of nursing at WSU Vancouver.
“Having volunteers from the nursing school provides us with the opportunity to have a more comprehensive impact on the community,” said Scott Driscoll, president of the Quinn Driscoll Foundation, which is a co-sponsor of the clinic. “Moreover, it’s a great opportunity for nursing students to get practical, hands-on experience.”
WSU Vancouver family nurse practitioner students in the master’s graduate nursing program will help administer the screenings. These students are licensed registered nurses working towards obtaining advanced degrees to become primary care providers.
The clinic will take place 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, at Southwest Washington Medical Center’s Heart and Vascular Center in the Firstenburg Tower, 400 N.E. Mother Joseph Pl., Vancouver. The center is another co-sponsor of the clinic.
Any Clark County middle or high school athlete, band member or cheerleader age 13-18 is eligible for a screening. Although designed for the student athlete, others who have a family history of HCM and may be at risk are welcome.
Registration is required. Register online here or call 360-514-7755. Although there is no charge, a suggested $25 donation to the Quinn Driscoll Foundation is appreciated to support future screening events.
The foundation is named for 13-year-old Quinn Driscoll, Scott Driscoll’s son and a Vancouver-area student athlete who died in 2009 after suffering cardiac arrest while running on the track during gym class.