An Important Webinar by Dr. Haigney and
Dr. Franzos, Military Cardiologists
A slide from the webinar presentation.
The American College of Cardiology sponsored a free webinar, "Tactical vs. Competitive Athletes: Closing the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Gap," on September 18, 2025. Dr. Mark Haigney and Dr. Alaric Franzos, military cardiologists from Uniformed Services University, explain the results of their research and offer practical guidance on reducing sudden cardiac arrest risk for military personnel and first responders. You'll learn:
- How sudden cardiac death (SCD) risks differ in military and competitive athletes
- Changes in heart screening practices in the military over time
- Key results from the ERASE study, which screened 15,000+ Air Force trainees for heart risks
- How genetics is helping identify inherited heart conditions in service members, veterans, and their families
A Visit to Camp Pendleton
When we learned that a conference room was going to be named in honor of Pvt Kyle D. Siminak, who died of Sudden Cardiac Arrest on December 7, 2024, we asked his parents if they would like us to donate an AED in Kyle's memory. It all came together quickly, and the AED was donated on May 23, 2025, just before the conference room was dedicated. It has been placed just outside the Command Deck for the School of Infantry - West, in a building that did not have an AED. The Commanding Officer also ordered AEDs for each training unit and will order more for the barracks once the budget is approved. This is just the beginning of changes coming to Camp Pendleton.
A New Initiative: Army AED Advocacy at Fort Campbell
The discovery of this excellent article, A Call for Action to Prevent Sudden Cardiac Death, by Col. Amy Thompson, has resulted in the formation of a new initiative for Lion Heart Heroes. This initiative is led by Gold Star parents, medical professionals, and industry leaders who understand the devastating impact of SCA and the urgent need for prevention, screening, and emergency preparedness within the military community.
We are working together to raise awareness, expand AED accessibility, and implement life-saving measures to protect soldiers and their families from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) with a focused effort at Fort Campbell and eventually across military installations nationwide.
#keepmilitaryheartsbeating
We are working together to raise awareness, expand AED accessibility, and implement life-saving measures to protect soldiers and their families from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) with a focused effort at Fort Campbell and eventually across military installations nationwide.
#keepmilitaryheartsbeating
NDAA FY25 - Report Required on Availability of AEDs
The Chairman’s Mark of NDAA FY25 includes our Report Language on the availability of defibrillators. As report language, the Department of Defense is required to comply with the required report. We don’t have to wait for it to be signed into law to celebrate!
You can read it in the Military Personnel Mark.
Or here:
Availability of Automated External Defibrillators
The committee commends the Department of Defense for expanding the efforts to screen recruits, cadets, and midshipmen for cardiac issues with an electrocardiogram as they enter military service. The committee is concerned, however, that a study by leading military cardiologists stated that 108 of the 126 non-traumatic sudden deaths in the military were related to exercise, and more than half of the cases demonstrated a clearly identifiable cardiac abnormality at autopsy.
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretaries of the Military Departments to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services no later than March 1, 2025, which includes the following: (1) the number of sudden cardiac arrest events that occurred in Fiscal Year 2022 and Fiscal Year 2023; (2) a breakout of the conditions under which these events occurred amongst servicemembers; (3) an assessment of the availability of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at physical training tests, obstacle courses, and other areas where servicemembers are conducting physically strenuous training; and (4) a timeline for deploying AEDs to locations where servicemembers conduct routine strenuous physical training, if not currently available.
You can read it in the Military Personnel Mark.
Or here:
Availability of Automated External Defibrillators
The committee commends the Department of Defense for expanding the efforts to screen recruits, cadets, and midshipmen for cardiac issues with an electrocardiogram as they enter military service. The committee is concerned, however, that a study by leading military cardiologists stated that 108 of the 126 non-traumatic sudden deaths in the military were related to exercise, and more than half of the cases demonstrated a clearly identifiable cardiac abnormality at autopsy.
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretaries of the Military Departments to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services no later than March 1, 2025, which includes the following: (1) the number of sudden cardiac arrest events that occurred in Fiscal Year 2022 and Fiscal Year 2023; (2) a breakout of the conditions under which these events occurred amongst servicemembers; (3) an assessment of the availability of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at physical training tests, obstacle courses, and other areas where servicemembers are conducting physically strenuous training; and (4) a timeline for deploying AEDs to locations where servicemembers conduct routine strenuous physical training, if not currently available.
The NDAA FY24 includes a Pilot Program for ECG Screening of Recruits!
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 was signed by President Biden on December 22, 2023. It includes Section 547, "Pilot Program on Cardiac Screenings for Military Accessions." This pilot program is now the law of the land! We've been advocating for ECG screening for military recruits for years and years. Your efforts and support have made a life-saving difference for future military recruits!
Section 547 mandates that the Department of Defense start a pilot program of ECG screening for military recruits by September 30, 2024, and that it should run for three years with a report back to Congress by March 2028. Two training sites that have expressed interest represent more than 50,000 recruits annually. [UPDATE, June 2024: The pilot program has been delayed to 2025 because the late approval of the 2024 budget cut into the time needed to plan.]
Read all about it in Patricia Kime's story in Military.com, US Military to Screen All New Recruits for Heart Conditions Under Must-Pass Annual Defense Bill, published December 14, 2023. The article says "All" recruits, but we know it will be only for those sites that are selected for the pilot program. Expanding ECG screening to all accession points will be our next project!
Section 547 mandates that the Department of Defense start a pilot program of ECG screening for military recruits by September 30, 2024, and that it should run for three years with a report back to Congress by March 2028. Two training sites that have expressed interest represent more than 50,000 recruits annually. [UPDATE, June 2024: The pilot program has been delayed to 2025 because the late approval of the 2024 budget cut into the time needed to plan.]
Read all about it in Patricia Kime's story in Military.com, US Military to Screen All New Recruits for Heart Conditions Under Must-Pass Annual Defense Bill, published December 14, 2023. The article says "All" recruits, but we know it will be only for those sites that are selected for the pilot program. Expanding ECG screening to all accession points will be our next project!
Letter to SASC and HASC
We sent a letter of support for Sec. 528 of the House-passed NDAA to the leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) in September 2023. The two committees are working on the final wording of the NDAA, resolving differences before it goes to President Biden for his signature toward the end of the year. Section 528 would establish a pilot program to provide electrocardiograms to individuals entering military service. This was opposed by the White House, however, in their Statement of Administration Policy (see page 6). Thank you to all who called and wrote expressing dismay. Our letter was endorsed by the Lion Heart Heroes Foundation, other Gold Star family members, survivors, and organizations dedicated to addressing Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). See below.
Years of Advocacy Beginning to Pay Off!
| ndaa_section_528_cardiac_screening_07202023.pdf |
The approved House version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (NDAA FY24) includes a small section from the House Subcommittee on Military Personnel, Section 528: PILOT PROGRAM ON CARDIAC SCREENINGS FOR MILITARY ACCESSIONS!
The description reads, "This section would require the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to provide mandatory electrocardiograms to individuals entering military service in connection with the military accession screening process." Please see the attached document for the rest of the bill language.
The NDAA was approved by the full House on June 21, but still must be reconciled with the Senate's version before being signed into law by President Biden toward the end of the year. We have been working for many years to get the military to add ECGs to the medical screening protocols at MEPS. ECGs can find over 85% of the conditions that can lead to Sudden Cardiac Death but were dropped from the medical protocols in 2002. This is a huge victory. Detailing the steps it took to get here would fill a book.
The description reads, "This section would require the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to provide mandatory electrocardiograms to individuals entering military service in connection with the military accession screening process." Please see the attached document for the rest of the bill language.
The NDAA was approved by the full House on June 21, but still must be reconciled with the Senate's version before being signed into law by President Biden toward the end of the year. We have been working for many years to get the military to add ECGs to the medical screening protocols at MEPS. ECGs can find over 85% of the conditions that can lead to Sudden Cardiac Death but were dropped from the medical protocols in 2002. This is a huge victory. Detailing the steps it took to get here would fill a book.
Productive Trip to Washington DC, June 2023
The 3rd Annual National CPR and AED Awareness Rally gave us a good reason to head to Washington DC, where we participated in the rally at the Washington Monument and the march to the Capitol. We met with Senate and Congressional staffers to promote our mission of bringing cardiac screening with electrocardiograms (ECGs) to military recruits. We also met our lobbyist, Madison Arcangeli from Forza DC and had dinner with Dr. Mark Haigney and Dr. Alaric Franzos, the cardiologists we work with from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. It was a productive trip!
We marched to the Capitol to raise awareness about CPR.
Meet the Press NOW features David's Story!
Here is a link to the video: Buffalo Bills Player Damar Hamlin's Cardiac Incident Broadens Calls for Military Cardiac Testing
Lion Heart Heroes Director, Laurie Finlayson, and Uniformed Services University Cardiologist, Dr. Mark Haigney, were interviewed by NBC's Pentagon Correspondent, Courtney Kube. After watching the segment linked above, click here to hear additional commentary by Courtney Kube and NBC Political Analyst Chuck Todd as they discuss the need for cardiac screening in the military, This aired on www.NBCNews.com/Now on February 10, 2023. |
Laurie Finlayson speaks with Courtney Kube in an interview on Meet the Press NOW.
|
Cardiac Screening of JROTC Cadets
Lion Heart Heroes Foundation has an ongoing partnership with the Nick of Time Foundation to screen JROTC cadets in Puget Sound area high schools. Screenings consist of a Heart Health Survey asking about possible signs & symptoms or family history of a heart condition. An EKG is performed that analyzes the electrical signals of the heart and in some cases, a limited physical exam or Echocardiogram of the heart is conducted. The results are reviewed on-site by cardiologists and sports physicians experienced in EKG youth heart screens.
