Ranney Promotes Healthy Initiatives and State-of-the-Art Heart Screenings for Athletes

TINTON FALLS, N.J., April 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ranney School recently announced a series of heart-healthy initiatives that launched during American Heart Awareness Month and will continue throughout the school year. Most significant is the chance for Ranney spring varsity athletes to receive state-of-the-art cardiology screenings on campus designed to identify and evaluate dangerous heart murmurs that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest (SCD) in young athletes. Although SCD in young athletes is rare, Ranney is taking the initiative to educate its athletes and their families at a time when SCD continues to make national headlines and has caused great concern.

"This is all about supporting health and wellness in the Ranney community," said Dr. Lawrence S. Sykoff, Head of School. "It is taking proactive health measures to a more sophisticated level, beyond screening for hearing and vision. Giving our athletes the chance to take part in this FDA approved screening places Ranney at the forefront of 21st century medical technology," he said.

According Shant Hovnanian, Chairman of Zargis Medical Inc., Ranney is the first school to take part in the "Project HeartRox" outreach program aimed to bring this technology to thousands of schools nationwide and help eliminate SCD among athletes in our schools. "Ranney's collaboration with a local medical center, medical personnel and nonprofit health organizations is a model for other schools to follow," Hovnanian said. He also referenced the American Heart Association's 12-step screening process, which may also help reduce SCD.

Graciously supported by a Ranney family and local health organization, Zargis Cardioscan heart sound analysis software, along with an accompanying wireless Bluetooth-enabled electronic stethoscope, makes it possible for Ranney athletes to undergo this innovative screening. The doctor reading the digital heart scan is able to more accurately detect potential heart anomalies that could lead to SCD. This highly sophisticated Cardioscan equipment can provide insight into rhythmical sounds of the functioning heart; although not yet an aspect of New Jersey State required Annual Athletic Pre-Participation Physical Examinations for all athletes, it is another way Ranney is taking the lead to support its student athletes by facilitating important health screenings.

The cardiac screenings are being held on campus in conjunction with CentraState Medical Center, Freehold, and medical personnel, and with educational support from national non-profit health organizations. The Cardioscan will be used to enhance sports physicals and assist in the identification of acoustical abnormal heart sounds that could indicate a serious medical condition warranting more comprehensive testing by a family pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist. The technology recently earned the Popular Science Innovation of the Year and Edison Best New Product awards.

A part of a non-invasive screening, the Cardioscan software helps the healthcare professional in the use of a wireless stethoscope for the recording, display and analysis of heart sounds and other physiological acoustic signals. Cardioscan wirelessly transfers heart, lung and other body sounds to software for further analysis by the doctor reading the Cardioscan, making visible what physicians are hearing through the scope and becoming a means to "see" into the chest and differentiate between benign and harmful heart murmurs. The recorded data can then be played at slow speeds to hear more clearly and can be saved for comparison in future exams.

To find out more about heart-healthy initiatives at Ranney and to download images, visit our website:

https://www.ranneyschool.org/podium/default.aspx?t=204&nid=573665

About Ranney School

Founded in 1960 and serving more than 800 boys and girls, Beginners (age 3) through grade 12, Ranney School is an independent, college preparatory day school located in historic Tinton Falls, New Jersey.  Under its motto "knowledge, vision, honor," Ranney School strives to provide an exceptional academic experience in which every child is known and valued. It emphasizes modern methods of instruction, small class sizes and traditional educational values. For more information, please call Ranney School at 732-542-4777 or visit www.ranneyschool.org.

About Zargis Medical Corp.

Zargis is a global medical device company focused on improving health outcomes and cost-effectiveness through auscultation software and products. Zargis is majority-owned by Speedus Corp., and both 3M Company and Siemens Corporate Research, a division of Siemens AG (NYSE: SI), hold equity positions.  

Press Contact: Valerie Francois, Ranney School,  732-542-4777 x.1184 [email protected]

SOURCE Ranney School