Noted pediatric cardiologist Michael J. Ackerman, MD, PhD, will be the inaugural speaker Nov. 3 at the Andra Heart Speaker Series—a free public event sponsored by Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and the Andra Heart Foundation.
TOPIC: "Prediction and Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young"
Michael J. Ackerman, MD, PhD
Thursday, Nov. 3
Fox Tucson Theater,
17 W. Congress St.
6 p.m. free dinner buffet | 7 p.m. program
Dr. Ackerman is director of the Mayo Clinic’s Long QT Syndrome/Genetic Heart Rhythm Clinic and the Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory in Rochester, Minn. He is the president of the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation and the author of more than 400 articles and chapters on cardiac channelopathies, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and sudden cardiac death in the young.
Dr. Ackerman also will present a Cardiology Grand Rounds at the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center, stay tuned for details. View other Sarver Heart events here.
The Andra Heart Foundation is named for Andra Jane Dalrymple, a 12-year-old Tucson girl who died at Banner Diamond Children’s Medical Center in 2010 of an undiagnosed heart condition after trying out for the soccer team at Flowing Wells Junior High School. The cause was a rare congenital heart defect called Long QT Syndrome (click on heart image above left for video). The defect causes a sudden, dangerous abnormal heartbeat and, at times, death. U.S. medical experts believe about 3,000 people die each year due to Long QT syndrome. The foundation, run by Andra’s mother, Jenine, has been active promoting awareness, community events and support services, including providing more than 2,000 students with free or reduced cost electrocardiograms and 15 AEDs to schools and athletic facilities (read more…). Find out about how you can help at www.andraheart.org
The original article for the above appeared in the Oct. 20 BUMG Wildcat Connection e-newsletter. Click here to see an archive of those newsletters.