Caring for the Whole Health of Georgia

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Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death for student athletes in the United States. Many of these individuals had no knowledge of heart issues prior to their cardiac arrest. Black athletes are disproportionately at risk, yet HBCU student athletes have not have equal access to heart screenings that are the standard of care at most Division I colleges. Until now.

As part of our shared commitment to health equity, CareSource and Who We Play For have teamed up to provide game-changing electrocardiogram (ECG) screenings to HBCU athletes in Georgia. With CareSource’s support, Who We Play For—a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating sudden cardiac death among young people through heart screenings, AEDs and community engagements—will provide staff, cardiology expertise and equipment for the cardiac screenings.

Albany State University was the first school CareSource partnered with in Georgia to bring screenings to HBCU athletes, and we have plans to serve other Georgia HBCUs in 2024. CareSource and Who We Play For began heart screenings in Florida in the fall of 2023 at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Florida Memorial University, Bethune-Cookman University and Edward Waters University.

At CareSource, we deeply appreciate the vital role that HBCUs have played in shaping Georgia’s social, economic and cultural landscapes. Our partnership with Who We Play For furthers our existing commitment to HBCUs in Georgia, which has included scholarship dollars, health initiatives, employee volunteerism and recruitment efforts. HBCU alumni at CareSource have integral leadership throughout the organization and within the executive management team.

CareSource is dedicated to the communities we serve and to making a positive impact in the lives of our members through the elimination of health disparities. We’re proud to support this potentially lifesaving initiative and partner with community stakeholders to advance health equity in Georgia.