LISD Expected to Buy EKG Machines for Mandatory Testing on Student Athletes
By: Michaela MacDonald
Updated: November 14, 2012
"For several years now you've been hearing about these athletes that die suddenly that normally have been healthy so we are just trying to maybe help prevent some of that," said Ronnie Kirk, LISD's Director of Sports Medicine.
Kirk is hoping to prevent a tragedy.
"It certainly doesn't screen for everything or prevent everything, but it is a step towards you know us maybe finding something out that the parents or the student didn't know that they already had," said Kirk.
The school district partnered with a non-profit company called "Cypress ECG Project" to provide discounted screenings last year. But only about 5% of student athletes took advantage of the voluntary screening. And the screening worked--- catching heart defects in two students.
"Nobody would have known and all the physicals that they have had they haven't done an EKG. It's just not something that is routinely done," said Christin Allen who's a school nurse with two sons on the Monterey High School.
She says having this testing gives her peace of mind.
"It was good for me to know that they are doing one step more to make them safer," said Allen.
The new tests will cost LISD $27,000 for the first year and about $4,000 the following years. But Kirk says he thinks the investment will pay off.
"As far as I'm concerned it doesn't matter what the cost is as long as we can save someone's live then its well worth any money that we would spend," said Kirk.
If the board approves the funding and the machines are bought, athletic trainers and some school nurses will be trained on how to administer the tests.
