Owensboro High School has been officially designated as a Project ADAM Heart Safe School through a partnership with Norton Children’s Heart Institute, joining a nationwide effort to improve emergency preparedness for sudden cardiac arrest.
The designation was made on Thursday following training and education provided by Norton Children’s, which became a Project ADAM affiliate in 2023.
Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory) is a national nonprofit organization launched in 1999 in memory of Adam Lemel, a 17-year-old who died from sudden cardiac arrest while playing basketball. The program promotes awareness and helps schools implement emergency response plans, including the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
“You can’t predict when a cardiac arrest will occur, but being a part of Project ADAM will allow Owensboro High School staff to have the training necessary to save the life of anyone in our building should one occur,” said Jennifer Luttrell, OHS principal. “Between the day-to-day operations of the school as well as the countless number of events that are open to the public, this training will be invaluable.”
To receive the designation, staff at OHS received education on sudden cardiac arrest, CPR, and AED use. They also participated in a mock emergency scenario to practice their cardiac emergency response plan.
More than 356,000 people in the U.S. experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year, and most do not survive long enough to receive treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Project ADAM has helped save more than 200 children and adults through its school-based initiatives.
“We are excited to take part in this collaboration with other children’s hospitals across the country to promote more Heart Safe Schools,” said Dr. Adam M. Skaff, a fetal and pediatric cardiologist with Norton Children’s Heart Institute. “Raising awareness on cardiac arrest and providing training to school districts in our area can help save lives. We’re thrilled to designate Owensboro High School as our seventh Heart Safe School.”
The Norton Children’s Outpatient Center – Owensboro is located on the Owensboro Health campus in the Breckenridge Medical Building. The pediatric specialists with Norton Children’s provide care designed “Just for Kids” to families in the Owensboro area, offering a range of specialties including pediatric cardiology, neurology, and urology, as well as a neonatal follow-up clinic.
