HHS Students Earn New EKG Certification Through Grant and Partnership with MCC

The EKG course is a non-credit certification program offered during the school day at the high school and at no charge to students. The course was made available through MCC’s Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce (PATH) program, which is funded through an Illinois Community College Board grant. The grant aims to serve, create, support, and expand opportunities for individuals in nursing and select healthcare pathways to obtain certificates and degrees. The PATH grant covers all costs including textbooks, scrubs, and the EKG certification exam. MCC donates EKG machines for use by students during the course. 

This year, the EKG class was able to be offered only to select students in the medical academy due to scheduling constraints and a limited number of open slots. The course is being taught by Dr. Kristin Lynam, instructor of nursing at McHenry County College. In September and October the class met twice a week and students learned about patient care skills and how the electrical system in the heart works. In November and December, the class meets three times a week and students are doing more hands-on practice with the EKG machines. 

“This class is beneficial because it provides the foundation for patient monitoring and gives so much information about the overall health of a patient,” said Lynam. “I’ve had nursing students at the college who’ve wished they could’ve taken this course in high school.”

Junior Logan McCabe said he wanted the opportunity to learn more about the body. “We had to learn CPR and first aid for the class and I think that will stick with me for a while.”

Junior Riley Zentefis who plans to become a physical therapist, said the course may help her stand out as a college applicant and is a good way to balance time as it’s being offered during the school day. When asked what she thought about the course so far, she said: “It’s crazy to think about how much the heart can tell about the entire body. Everything’s connected!”

Senior Myesha Rafi said she had actually been wanting to take the EKG class for awhile but it hadn’t worked out until this year. “This class is great because it’s free, it’s here at HHS, and it worked with my schedule.” Rafi said she plans to earn her advanced degree in chemical engineering, but was interested in earning her certification so she could potentially get a job working as an EKG technician while in college. 

Renae St. Clair, founder of the medical academy, noted that some students who complete certification courses like EKG end up working at area hospitals or doctor’s offices that later pay for or reimburse tuition for earning an advanced degree in the medical field. This is something she continues to message to students in the medical academy.

“We are grateful for our partnership with MCC and that we can continue to offer students more exposure and hands-on experience in careers in the medical field,” said St. Clair. “Next year, if we can get things lined up sooner, we hope to be able to offer the EKG certification class to more students.”