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Miami-Dade, FL - Miami-Dade County Public Schools will soon require all high school athletes to undergo heart screenings before participating in sports, following a unanimous vote by the school board this week.
The new rule mandates electrocardiogram (EKG) testing to help identify hidden heart issues that could lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
The screenings, which will be offered at no cost to students, are the result of a collaboration with Jackson Health System, Baptist Health, and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
“This policy has been in the works for over a year, and it’s about saving lives,” said School Board Member Roberto Alonso, who introduced the initiative.
Alonso, a former student-athlete, spoke of a personal experience witnessing a teammate die from cardiac arrest.
Dr. Madeleen Mas, director of Pediatric Cardiology at Holtz Children’s Hospital, emphasized the importance of early detection.
“For every 333 students screened, we might find one with a potentially life-threatening condition,” she said.
The board’s decision comes just weeks after a private school athlete in the area reportedly went into cardiac arrest during practice.
However, officials clarified that the policy was not a direct response to that incident.
While some cardiologists have raised concerns that EKGs only catch about half of the conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest, Alonso noted that the test is non-invasive and poses no harm.
With this move, Miami-Dade becomes the sixth school district in Florida to implement mandatory heart screenings for student-athletes, joining a growing effort to improve safety in youth sports.