Medical Experts, Educators, and Community Partners Join Together to Prevent LEAPS with Pediatric Sports - Posted 2.1.10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                                                                                                                               

Medical Experts, Educators, and Community Partners Join Together to Prevent Life Threatening Events Associated with Pediatric Sports (LEAPS)

Annual LEAPS Conference to be Held on February 6, 2010

COSTA MESA, CA, JANUARY 28, 2010 - Four student athletes succumbed to cardiac related death during the 2008-2009 school year in Orange County.   Because of this, a united and unprecedented prevention effort is underway.  The second annual Life Threatening Events Associated with Pediatric Sports (LEAPS) conference will be held on Saturday, February 6, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE), 200 Kalmus Drive, Building D Conference Center, Costa Mesa, 92626.

The purpose of the conference is to review the causes and prevention of life threatening events in pediatric sports, and the target audience includes physicians, educators, athletic coaches and trainers, nurses, first responders, parents, and advocates.

Renowned physicians and other experts will share the latest evidence based knowledge on the mechanisms of sudden death in pediatric sports activities and present information that evaluates the efficacy of screening procedures and preventive methods at the individual and community levels.  In addition, two families will share their personal experiences related to this topic.  

The keynote speaker is Stuart Berger, M.D., Medical Director of Project A.D.A.M. (Automated Defibrillators in Adam's Memory), an initiative that is committed to making automated external defibrillators (AED) universally available to all children and adolescents.  Dr. Berger is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Medical Director of the Herma Heart Center at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

Orange County Superintendent of Schools, William M. Habermehl, stated, "It is imperative that parents, educators, coaches, and community members work together with medical experts and emergency responders to take a proactive approach to promote the safety of our student athletes.  The Orange County Department of Education is honored to be involved with this partnership that is working hard to identify concrete strategies to address life threatening events associated with youth sports."

Space is still available to attend the LEAPS Conference on February 6.  For registration information, visit http://nregister.ocde.us/event.asp?id=434 .

For additional information, contact Arthur A. Cummins, Ed.D., Orange County Department of Education, Administrator, Safe & Healthy Schools, at 714-327-1071 or acummins@ocde.us.

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Partners in Support of the 2nd Annual LEAPS Conference:

Orange County School Districts, Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), Irvine Unified Council PTA, Fourth District PTA, CHOC Pediatric Subspecialty Faculty, American Academy of Pediatrics,  University of California Irvine Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS), Orange County Department of Education, St. Joseph Hospital, Newport Emergency Physicians, Orange County Fire Authority.

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Contact:
Nicole Savio
School and Community Services Coordinator
Orange County Department of Education
Phone: (714) 966-4385
E-Mail: nsavio@ocde.us