Unprecedented health equity initiative for HBCU athletes launches in Georgia
CareSource partners with Who We Play For to provide lifesaving ECG screenings
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 2,000 young people die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) each year – many without previously known heart issues. SCA occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating, and the condition can be deadly if not immediately treated with CPR or a defibrillator. In fact, SCA is the number one medical cause of sudden death in athletes in the U.S.
Young Black athletes are particularly at risk, tending to have higher rates of SCA and SCA death compared to White individuals. A 2020 study found that Black college basketball players had an incidence of sudden cardiac arrest or death 21 times higher than the average among high school male athletes of all races. The second highest at-risk group in the study were Black male college football players.
Although the recent cardiac arrests of Black athletes such as Bronny James and Damar Hamlin have increased national attention about SCA, more needs to be done to raise awareness about the condition and possible prevention.
Supporting the health and well-being of HBCU student athletes
Pre-existing conditions that could lead to SCA are easily detectable with a simple, painless heart screening called an electrocardiogram (ECG). While ECGs are a standard test at most NCAA schools, many historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) lack the resources to offer these screenings to their athletes, even though Black athletes are disproportionately at higher risk than other athletes.
To help support the health and well-being of HBCU athletes, including band members, CareSource partnered with Who We Play For to offer advanced heart screenings on their campuses. While this partnership started in Florida, I’m especially proud, as a HBCU alumni, to be afforded the opportunity to lead this initiative for CareSource in Georgia. With CareSource’s support, Who We Play For, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating sudden cardiac death among youth through heart screenings, AEDs and community engagement, will provide the staff, cardiology expertise and equipment to implement the cardiac screenings.
Albany State University was the first school CareSource partnered with in Georgia to bring screenings to HBCU athletes, and we have plans to serve other Georgia HBCUs in 2024. CareSource and Who We Play For began heart screenings in Florida in the fall of 2023 at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Florida Memorial University, Bethune-Cookman University and Edward Waters University.
This partnership between CareSource and Who We Play For will prioritize the well-being of HBCU athletes and potentially save lives.
Extending beyond traditional health care
HBCUs have played a vital role in shaping Georgia’s social, economic and cultural landscapes. According to the Southern Education Foundation, Georgia has 10 HBCUs that enroll more than 20,000 Black undergraduates each year and award 23% of all bachelor’s degrees earned by Black students. The rich legacies of these institutions have shaped much of the state and have helped define Atlanta as a Black mecca for achievement in education, business, health care, politics, media and music.
The partnership with Who We Play For furthers CareSource’s existing commitment to HBCUs in Georgia. This overall commitment includes scholarship dollars, health initiatives, employee volunteerism and recruitment efforts. We have provided $100,000 to support scholarships at Fort Valley State, Morehouse, Morris Brown College, Paine College and Savannah State University. CareSource is also the premier sponsor of the HBCU Alliance Annual walk. Additionally, we offer internship opportunities for scholarship winners.
HBCU alumni at CareSource have integral leadership roles throughout the organization and within the executive management team. As a graduate of Howard University, I’ve experienced first-hand the impact HBCUs make on students and within the community, and I’m proud to work for an organization that supports HBCU athletes, students and alumni.
