Houston, TX – Art Garza, Chief Operating Officer of East Houston Regional Medical Center announced the East Houston Regional Medical Center’s partnership with the Cody Stephens “Go Big or Go Home” Memorial Foundation and area independent school districts to provide electrocardiograms (EKGs) for students who participate in school sports and other extracurricular activities.
In 2012 with only two months before the 6’9” 289-pound Cody Stephens was slated to join a college football team, he sat down to rest and died of sudden cardiac arrest. He was 18 years old, and he would have received a required EKG by his college football team, a procedure which might have identified his heart problem.
Scott Stephens, Cody’s father, approached East Houston Regional Medical Center with a proposal that resulted in 2,216 EKG screenings last year. The staff at East Houston Regional Medical Center agreed to provide the screenings as a pro bono service.
“East Houston Regional Medical Center is a shining example of partnering together with our foundation to provide this invaluable service to the parents and students in the Crosby, Galena Park, and Channelview ISDs,” said Mr. Stephens. “I am passionate about including EKGs for students’ athletic physicals because I pay the price everyday of not doing it.”
Success stories in the East Houston Regional Medical Center-area abound. From the 2,216 completed EKGs, approximately 4.5% of the students required additional follow up as directed by the cardiologists.
For more information about Scott Stephens’ efforts, including House Bill 1319 from the 2013 session, please go to CodyStephensFoundation.org.
For additional information about the ISD EKG program at East Houston Regional Medical Center, please contact Art Garza at 713-393-2520.