North Florida Pediatrics is committed to helping our community’s student-athletes stay safe as they pursue their passion for sports.
This year, we are offering a complimentary Standard EKG heart screening for all patients who schedule a sports physical exam with our practice. We encourage families to schedule during Spring Break, as heart screening evaluations may take 7 days or more, and most school tryouts begin. Additionally, under the new Florida State Mandate, “Second Chance Act” (SB 10170), “…students-athletes in grades 9th to 12th, participating in school sports, will be required to have a recent ECG/EKG screening, to detect hidden heart conditions that could lead to a sudden cardiac arrest.” Because most children in our communities join sports from a very early age, we will offer this benefit to every patient aged 10 years or older. Students who are non-active athletes will receive this benefit as well.
This new state mandate will not only safeguard the well-being of your child enrolled in sports practice but also legally shield your family’s Athletic pursuits efforts from the legal hazards associated with this type of fatal, unexpected tragedy of a sudden cardiac arrest.
Through our partnership with “Who We Play For” Cardiology Professionals, we can now provide this life-saving EKG test at no cost to their parents, helping ensure that every young athlete in our community can participate in sports with greater peace of mind for the entire family.
As a pediatric primary care provider, the only legal requirement is that every student-athlete receiving this Annual Sport-Physical Exam and Complimentary EKG Testing must be a current patient, or establish care with our practice (due to the private nature of the exam and our high commitment to complying with the HIPAA standards in the protection of the patient’s personal data).
Please feel free to share this opportunity with your student-athletes and families in your area.
