Project ADAM

What is Project ADAM?

Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam's Memory) is a national program founded at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin that educates and equips schools to respond a sudden cardiac event. This is accomplished by ensuring that schools have personnel and procedures in place to respond to the event as well as automated external defibrillators strategically located throughout the campus. Once the personnel, procedures and AEDs are in place, the school can apply to be identified as a “Heart Safe School.”

Founded at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, children’s hospitals and health systems throughout the country have joined in the mission to reduce preventable cardiac deaths by becoming a Project ADAM affiliate. Lurie Children’s became the 25th affiliate in April 2019. Our program is administered through Lurie Children's Heart Center and led by Stuart Berger, MD, Division Head of Cardiology in collaboration with Lurie Children’s Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities.

Project ADAM takes its name from Adam Lemel, a 17-year-old Wisconsin student who collapsed and died while playing basketball in 1999. His passing was one of a series of deaths among high school athletes in southeastern Wisconsin that appeared to be due to ventricular fibrillation – a cardiac event that can be helped with automated external defibrillators (AED). Adam's parents, Patty and Joe Lemel, collaborated with Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, including Dr. Berger who was there at the time, to create Project ADAM in 1999.

Project ADAM’s Heart Safe School designation is attained by schools upon successful implementation of a quality sudden cardiac arrest program of awareness, training and effective emergency response to promote a heart safe environment for students, visitors and staff as outlined within the Heart Safe School Checklist.

Heart Safe School recognition lasts two full years. To maintain and renew, your school should submit the Heart Safe school checklist and the CPR-AED drill checklist to the Project ADAM team for each school year.

Download the Heart Safe School Checklist

What are the benefits of becoming a recognized Heart Safe School through Project ADAM?

• A Heart Safe School certificate and banner to promote your designation.
• Recognition on Lurie Children’s Project ADAM Illinois webpage.
• Free AED replacement pads (supplied when original pads are used in an emergency event).
• Most importantly, you’ll be able to put these newly acquired response plans into action and ensure you are equipped with the skills to save a child’s life!

How does your school become a Heart Safe School?

• A written cardiac emergency response plan
• A cardiac emergency response team
• CPR/AED training
• A sufficient number of properly maintained and accessible AEDs
• Annual cardiac emergency response drills

How can Project ADAM help your school become Heart Safe?

• Individualized consultations and ongoing communication and support from the Project ADAM Illinois team.
• Free educational videos and templates to organize and customize your Project ADAM efforts.
• Connections to local resources for training, drills and funding.

Information for your School on Project ADAM

• Heart Safe School Flyer
• Heart Safe School Flyer (condensed version)