Student-athletes from a number of Charlotte region high schools will once again be able to receive free athletic screenings under a program pioneered by Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS) called Heart of a Champion Day. Four Saturdays have been set aside for the screenings that will take place in Fort Mill, SC, and Charlotte, Indian Trail and Lincolnton, NC.
The screenings check for heart abnormalities that could lead to sudden death and may include an electrocardiogram and echocardiogram. Neither heart test is offered during a routine athletic screening. Also included are orthopedic and general medical screenings. Last year, nearly 2,000 student-athletes participated and some 200 were found to have medical conditions that required follow-up.
Specific information on each 2012 event appears below:
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Event
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Date
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Address
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Participating Schools
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Registration
Window
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Fort Mill
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Saturday, May 12
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CMC-Fort Mill Medical Plaza, 704 Gold Hill Rd., Fort Mill, SC
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Fort Mill H.S., Nation Ford H.S.
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April 9 to May 7
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Charlotte
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Saturday, June 2
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Carolinas College of Health Sciences,
1200 Blythe Blvd., Charlotte
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
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April 30 to May 28
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Indian Trail
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Saturday, June 9
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Union West Medical Plaza, 6030 W. Highway 74, Indian Trail, NC
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Union, Anson, Chesterfield (SC) counties
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May 7 to June 4
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Lincolnton
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Saturday, July 21
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CMC-Lincoln Medical Plaza, 441 McAlister Rd., Lincolnton, NC
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North Lincoln H.S., Lincoln Charter, Lincolnton H.S., East Lincoln H.S.
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June 18 to July 16
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Students wishing to participate should note their registration “window” and register online by visiting www.heartofachampionday.org and clicking on the “Students” tab at the top of the page.
The three main genetic defects that doctors look for during the cardiac screenings are:
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy – A thickening of the heart muscle that causes electrical disruptions and reduced blood flow, sometimes causing sudden death. This genetic disorder affects one in 500 people and can be treated with medication and, in serious cases, surgery.
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome – A heart abnormality that causes irregular, rapid heart beats and can be cured by a surgical procedure.
Long Q-T Interval Syndrome – A hereditary disorder of the heart’s electrical rhythm that reduces blood flow and can cause fainting. In severe cases, a prolonged heart spasm could result in death. This disorder can be treated with medication or an implantable defibrillator.
Five CHS hospitals–Levine Children’s Hospital, Carolinas Medical Center, CMC-Lincoln, CMC-Union and CMC-Pineville–are sponsoring the screenings along with CHS’ Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute. Last year, nearly 800 volunteers from these organizations staffed the four screenings.
Those providing financial or material support include Kohl’s Cares, Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Carolina Panther Thomas Davis’s Defending Dreams Foundation, eCardio, McKesson, Philips, Cardiac Science, Welch-Allyn, Coca Cola, Chic-fil-A, Jason’s Deli and Morrison Management Specialists.
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