Support from generous donors helped School Health Clinics purchase an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) machine for our Franklin-McKinley Neighborhood Health Clinic earlier this year. EKG machines record the heart’s electrical activity, and are one of the primary screening tools physicians use to identify, or rule out, serious heart conditions.
It’s not uncommon for people to experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or even an episode of dizziness or fainting, and when this happens doctors often recommend an EKG test as the first step to evaluate the situation. Also, 80% of children have a heart murmur heard by their pediatrician at some point in childhood, and many of them need further evaluation to rule out a heart defect. In the past, we referred these patients to Valley Medical Center for screening - a challenge for families who don’t have transportation or can’t get away from work. Now School Health Clinics' staff performs this simple procedure on the spot, in just a few minutes. For the vast majority of patients the results come back normal - reassuring patients and parents that there is no serious underlying health problem.
As School Health Clinics' Medical Director, Claude Rogé, M.D., says: “The new EKG machine has significantly improved the care we’re providing - giving us immediate results and saving patients so much time and worry. It’s much easier for most of our patients to get to the Franklin-McKinley Clinic than Valley Medical Center. It’s been a real help for them.”
Purchased with funds from the 2018 #GivingTuesday campaign, our new EKG machine ensures that even the most vulnerable people in our communities have access to high-quality healthcare. Thank you to our donors for making this possible!
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2019 #GivingTuesday is December 3rd!
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School Health Clinics' own Suzanne Frank, M.D., and Angela Bymaster, M.D., will be among the featured presenters at the 26th Annual County of Santa Clara Domestic Violence Conference. Their workshop, The Forgotten Years: IPV/Sexual Assault and Youth ages 13-23, will help service and medical responders recognize youth victims of intimate partner violence in order to prevent this physical and mental health crisis. Learn more or register to attend here.
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