If someone in our school community suffers a sudden cardiac arrest, would we know what to do? And do we as a school community know that early recognition of a cardiac arrest, calling 9-1-1, bystander response with hands-only CPR, and use of an AED greatly increase the chance of survival?
Fortunately, for Notre Dame’s students, athletes, faculty and staff as well as all visitors, the answers are both yes.
That is because all three divisions and school buildings on the campus of Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy have been designated collectively as an official “MI HEARTSafe School.” The designation results from an initiative from the Michigan Department of Community Health, Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Alliance for Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death of the Young and the American Heart Association.
The MI HEARTSafe School Award Program was originally created to support school communities' efforts to prevent sudden cardiac death of the young (SCDY) by screening athletes for inherited sudden cardiac arrest syndromes and increasing the awareness of how to recognize the signs of a sudden cardiac arrest and respond quickly.
According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, schools earning the MI HEARTSafe School designation are prepared for cardiac emergencies, and have met certain standards and criteria to protect their students, staff and visitors in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest.
MI HEARTSafe School criteria included:
– A written medical emergency response plan reviewed at least annually with staff
– A medical emergency response team with current CPR/AED certification, sufficient to respond to an emergency during school hours and organized after-school activities
– Current CPR/AED certification for at least 10% of staff and 50% of coaches and physical education staff
– A sufficient number of accessible properly maintained and inspected AEDs, ready to use, with signs identifying AED locations
– Performance of at least one cardiac emergency response drill per year
– Pre-participation sports screening for all athletes using the most current form endorsed by Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA)
The MI HEARTSafe School designation is for three years.
Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.