Morris Hospital is bringing its free Rhythm of Our Youth cardiac screening to Ottawa High School students Nov. 2 and 3 during the school day.

The purpose of the screening is to identify high school students who have an undiagnosed cardiac abnormality that could result in sudden cardiac death.

Rhythm of Our Youth first launched in 2016 as a result of funding provided by donors to the Morris Hospital Foundation. Since then, more than 8,000 area high school students have been screened through the program.

On the screening day, a team of specially trained volunteers from Morris Hospital perform electrocardiogram screenings for free for students who have received parental permission to participate. An electrocardiogram is a noninvasive, painless test that measures the electrical activity of the heart and detects certain heart abnormalities that can lead to sudden cardiac death.

Screenings typically take place during physical education class or study hall, depending on students’ schedules. The test takes about three minutes to complete.

Based on results of the screenings, about 3% of students are referred to their physician for additional follow-up. Typically, less than 1% are found to have a medical problem that requires cardiac intervention. Results are sent home to the student’s parents and are not shared with the school.

Parents of Ottawa High School students are encouraged to complete an electronic consent form on the hospital’s website so their student can participate in the screening. The form can be found at morrishospital.org/rooy.

Sudden cardiac death claims more than 2,000 lives of children and adolescents in the U.S. each year. Most victims of sudden cardiac death have had underlying heart conditions that could have been detected through a simple ECG.

For more information or to volunteer at a Rhythm of Our Youth screening event, go to www.morrishospital.org/rooy.