Three Worcester University alumni joined forces earlier this year to create Youth Heart Watch, a nonprofit organization that provides free heart screenings to youth ages 14-24.
Donna Anderson ’10, Chrissy Mitchell Gaffney ’89, and Karen Tougas ’98 are all undergraduate alumni of WSU. Karen Tougas, a registered nurse, also is currently a student in the Master of Science in Nursing program in the Community/Public Health Nursing Specialty track.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in exercising youth and is often the result of undiagnosed cardiac structural or electrical abnormalities. Youth Heart Watch offers screening for the most common risk factors that may lead to sudden cardiac as well as instruction on CPR and AED use.
This screening was held at Sutton High school on November 16 and was very well supported by the community. Dr. Darshak Sanghavi and Dr. Michael Fahey, pediatric cardiologists at UMass provided the EKG interpretive skills and instructions necessary to carry out a screening of this type. Other volunteers included registered nurses from the WSU Master of Science in nursing program, the Sutton Lion’s club, the Sutton and Millbury Fire Departments, the Sutton school system and Philips Medical who donated EKG and ultrasound equipment along with technical support for the day. This event screened 44 local youths and was done totally through voluntary efforts of a community that came together to make a difference.
Achievers
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