Free Cardiac Testing to be Offered at Glenbrook South

The Max Schewitz Foundation will conduct its sixth year of Screens for Teens, an EKG-based cardiac screening program, this fall.

The program kicks off Sept. 11 at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, and will be at Glenbrook South High School on Oct. 23.

At these clinics, students will 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. 

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.

Submitted by the College of Lake County

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