The West Virginia Heart Safe Schools Project was developed by the Pediatric Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) Committee (a subcommittee of the Emergency Medical Services for Children Advisory Committee) in conjunction with the West Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Section of Pediatric Cardiology of the WVU Medicine Children's Hospital, the Maura Rae Kul AED Foundation, the Matt Velez Save a Life Foundation and the Live Like Caleb Foundation to improve the overall safety of children and adolescents in West Virginia.

We aim to accomplish this by reducing SCD in the school-aged population by standardization and expansion of school-based Automated External Defibrillator (AED) programs and SCD risk assessment of all school-aged children. Timely cardiac defibrillation is the most effective means of aborting SCD. An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable device that delivers an electrical shock to persons in a lethal cardiac arrhythmia. AEDs are accurate, effective, and easy to use. Of course, recognition of those at greatest risk of SCD and treating or decreasing that risk will mitigate the need for emergent lifesaving maneuvers. Identification of causes of SCD through personal and family history, physical exam, and electrocardiography (12 lead ECG) are means of SCD prevention.

Learn more about the Heart Safe School designation by visiting the ProjectADAM website https://www.projectadam.com/.

For more information, please contact Robin Jones, Manager of Designation and Categorization, at 304-290-9305.