Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society Supports SB 606
Harrinsburgh, PA (PRWEB) October 11, 2013 -- HARRISBURG, October 2, 2013 – October is recognized as "National Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania as well as across the country. SB 606, cosponsored by Senators Dinniman (D—Chester) and Rafferty (R—Montgomery), would help to ensure that every public school in Pennsylvania has an automated external defibrillator (AED) that is up to date and ready to use. The bill would amend the Public School Code to require the Pennsylvania Department of Education begin a grant program for schools to purchase automated electronic defibrillators (AEDs) beginning in FY 2013-2014.
On Tuesday October 1, 2013 a press conference was held in the rotunda at the capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to increase awareness of this bill. In attendance to support this bill on behalf of PATS, was Joe Iezzi, a past PATS President and Angie Armbrust from the Winter Group. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes.“I think it would be great to see SB 606 come to fruition so AED's will be in the hands of Health Care Professionals, such as Athletic Trainer's to help save lives in Pennsylvania,” said Joe Iezzi, past PATS President. The increasing presence of and timely access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at sporting events provides a means of early defibrillation and the potential for effective secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death. “It is extremely heartwarming to know that children were saved by AEDs and that more can be saved with the help of SB606. The secondary schools that these three students were enrolled in had access to a healthcare professional and/or an Athletic Trainer, to utilize the AED. PATS wants see every secondary school in Pennsylvania have the benefit of an Athletic Trainer overseeing all practices and games," said Yvette Ingram PhD, LAT, ATC, PATS President.
The Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society (PATS) is a progressive organization of health care professionals who work under the direction of a licensed physician. PATS represents approximately 3000 Licensed Athletic Trainers and Athletic Training Students in Pennsylvania. This is currently the largest number of Athletic Trainers (ATs) of any state in the nation. Further, Pennsylvania boasts one of the highest numbers of accredited Athletic Training Education Programs in the nation (20).
For more information visit: http://www.gopats.org
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Mike Prybicien, District 2 National Athletic Trainers Association, http://www.natad2.org/, +1 (201) 788-2961, [email protected]
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