Shorecrest Named a Project ADAM Heart Safe School

Shorecrest is pleased to announce that the School has been designated a Project ADAM Heart Safe School, the first school in Pinellas County to earn the distinction.

Project ADAM - Automated Defibrillators in Adam's Memory - was founded in 1999 in memory of Adam Lemel, a 17-year-old student who died of sudden cardiac arrest while playing basketball. The national program works through affiliated children's hospitals to help schools prepare for cardiac emergencies. Shorecrest earned its designation through the Tampa Bay affiliate, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital.

Project ADAM Heart Safe status indicates a standard of readiness to respond to a cardiac emergency on campus. To qualify, Shorecrest documented its preparedness plan including automated external defibrillators placed and maintained across campus, a trained cardiac emergency response team, CPR and AED training for faculty and staff, and a written Cardiac Emergency Response Plan with practice drills coordinated with local emergency responders. 

"The health and safety of our school community is our top priority," said Head of School Nancy Spencer. "We are honored and grateful to be able to partner with the Project ADAM team at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital to further enhance our emergency preparedness protocols." 

Sudden cardiac arrest in young people is rare, but survival depends on how quickly and confidently the people nearby respond in the first minutes. The designation covers every corner of campus where Shorecrest community members gather, including classrooms, athletic fields, and performance spaces. 

Shorecrest will maintain the designation through ongoing training, annual drills, and regular review of its response plan. Learn more at projectadam.com.