AdventHealth Donates Equipment to Prevent and Treat Heat Illness as Part of Partnership with Volusia County Schools

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla., August 27, 2019 – AdventHealth has donated over $8,000 of equipment to help prevent and treat heat-related illnesses for Volusia County student athletes, including cold water immersion tubs, ice containers, thermometers, and “grab and go” emergency medical bags with all the equipment necessary for managing exertional heat illness.

This donation also included wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) thermometers which measures the heat stress in direct sunlight and takes into account: temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover. This differs from the heat index, which is calculated for shady areas and considers only temperature and humidity. The WBGT thermometers are key prevention tools for exertional heat illness as they help identify weather conditions that are unsafe for student athletes to practice or compete in, or that a practice should be altered to ensure the safety of the student athletes.

Exertional heat illness is a serious medical condition that happens when the body is unable to cool down and overheats. It can be triggered by physical exertion, like playing sports, particularly in the hot and humid conditions that are common in Florida.

When the body’s core temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit, it can become a life-threatening emergency that can cause long-term damage to the brain, liver, kidneys and other organs, as well as death.

In Florida, exertional heat illness is one of the top three causes for catastrophic injury/death of football players in high school and college. When treated promptly and correctly, exertional heat illness is a catastrophic injury that is 100% survivable.

This donation is part of AdventHealth’s $2 million partnership with Volusia County Schools. As part of the historic agreement, AdventHealth is committed to streamline and coordinate care for the 5,000 student athletes at Volusia County Schools. Last year, the hospital system focused on improving concussion protocols.

About AdventHealth Central Florida Division - North Region
Encompassing six AdventHealth hospitals in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties, the AdventHealth Central Florida Division - North Region is the largest hospital system in the area with 1,193 beds and more than 8,000 team members. The North Region includes facilities in Daytona Beach, DeLand, Orange City, New Smyrna Beach, Palm Coast and Tavares. Formerly known as Florida Hospital, the organization’s parent company changed the name of all wholly-owned entities to AdventHealth on Jan. 2, 2019. Based in Altamonte Springs, AdventHealth is a connected system of care. With more than 80,000 team members, AdventHealth is one of the nation’s largest faith-based health care systems with nearly 50 hospitals and hundreds of care sites in nearly a dozen states. With the mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, AdventHealth provides whole person care to heal the body, mind and spirit. To learn more, click here.

Photo Caption:
AdventHealth has donated over $8,000 of equipment to help prevent and treat heat-related illnesses for Volusia County student athletes. Pictured from left to right: Pine Ridge High School athletic director John New and athletic trainer Tori Haire with Erik Nason sports medicine outreach coordinator for AdventHealth.