Lincoln school honored after staff helped save student experiencing cardiac emergency

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Kooser Elementary School received a special designation after the quick thinking and actions of staff saved a fourth grader’s life earlier this year.

Kooser Elementary School became Lincoln Public Schools’ first Heart Safe School.

In January, a student experienced a cardiac emergency during class and an on-site LPS nurse assisted the student before paramedics came. That student has since recovered and is doing well.

The incident helped jumpstart the partnership between the school and the Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.

“Kooser Elementary is the first Project ADAM-designated Heart Safe School in Nebraska that has saved a student’s life with CPR and AED,” Matt Sorensen, M.D., pediatric electrophysiologist and medical director of Children’s Project ADAM program, said. “They were ahead of the curve in their preparation and readiness for a cardiac event, and they still wanted to go the extra mile to become a designated Heart Safe School as a prototype for their school district and as a leader statewide.”

The new partnership with the hospital means the school has more CPR- and AED-trained staff in the building and a practiced emergency plan to respond to an unexpected cardiac event.

“That makes all the difference. Because then, instead of reading about it in the paper in the obituary section, we’re seeing people like Angelina, that’s thriving and back in school and doing awesome,” Dr. Matt Sorensen, pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Hospital, said.

LPD is looking to add dozens of more certified schools to the list in the coming school years.

“It is an honor to have this designation as a Heart Safe School as it comes with hard work, preparation and, especially in our case, saving the life of a child,” Kooser Principal Kellie Joy said. “Knowing and having systems in a school setting is one thing, but protocols being orchestrated and effectively utilized by staff to assist in saving a child’s life will forever be a part of Kooser now.”

Since 1999, more than 4,000 schools across the country have achieved a Heart Safe Designation.

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