Longview Regional Medical Center set to Host Free Teen Heart Screenings for the East Texas Community
Longview, TX (January 15, 2019)— Longview Regional Medical Center is set to host a FREE heart screen for the East Texas community’s youth, ages 14-18, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Longview Regional Medical Center campus, located at 2901 N. Fourth St. The event will be held in the hospital’s Outpatient Surgery/Surgical Service Entrance, located between the 707 and the 709 Hollybrook buildings. Parking will be available in the parking garage located off Hollybrook Drive, on the southwest side of the Longview Regional campus.
Longview Regional has hosted the free teen heart screening for six years, screening more than 2,500 East Texas teen hearts at no charge. Longview Regional partners with the Championship Hearts Foundation, a Texas nonprofit agency to host the screening. All active East Texas students who participate in athletics, cheerleading, marching band, drill team or other strenuous sports are encouraged to get their heart screened for possible deadly genetic heart conditions, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
The Championship Hearts screening includes a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and a limited two-dimensional echocardiogram (ECHO) (picture of the heart) to detect Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. Both the ECG and ECHO are non-invasive and painless and are valued over $700. Results of the screening are immediate. The Championship Hearts screening model is endorsed by the Texas Chapter of the American College of Cardiology as a quality initiative.
“Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a genetic heart condition that usually doesn’t impair physical activity, but it can possess an increased risk for a potentially fatal rhythm problem that could happen right on the playing field,” Regional Clinics cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Greifenkamp said. “HCM can be difficult to diagnose during a physical examination, but is very easily detected with an echocardiogram.”
This free event is made possible in part, by the complementary use of facilities and equipment at Longview Regional Medical Center and the volunteer time of Longview Regional Medical Center cardiologists. More than 17,000 students have been screened by Championship Hearts Foundation, during the last decade, with approximately 5 percent of those having been referred for further cardiac testing.
Parents are welcome and encouraged to accompany their student during the tests. Students should pre-register at www.champhearts.org or by calling 888-884-6945. Check in for the event will take place in the hospital’s Outpatient Surgery/ Surgical Service Entrance, located between the 707 Diagnostic Clinic of Longview and the 709 Hollybrook buildings. Parking will be available in the parking garage located of Hollybrook Drive, on the southwest side of the Longview Regional campus.
Students must have a signed parental waiver in order to receive the heart screening. That waiver will be available at the event and is also available to print from the Championship Hearts website at: www.champhearts.org There is no charge for the screening, however, a (tax deductible) suggested contribution of $25 is appreciated to help defray some of the costs and also to support the work of the Foundation. For more information, visit the Foundation’s website or call (512) 900-3243 or (888) 884-6945.
About Championship Hearts Foundation:
Championship Hearts Foundation (CHF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) agency focused on the prevention of sudden cardiac death by screening young athletes for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) and other cardiac abnormalities.
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