Heart Screenings Save Lives in Newport Beach

By: Jessica Susolik

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, affecting people of all ages. A young athlete will die every three days in the US, from sudden cardiac arrest and it’s the number one cause of death on school campuses. Holly Morrell, founder of the nonprofit Heartfelt, is on a mission to provide early detection screenings and save lives in our community.  

 After losing six family members to a genetic heart disease, Morrell made it her life’s mission to educate people about the importance of early detection. “I dedicate my work to my loved ones lost,” she said. “Being a survivor, I’m driven to share my story so that people understand that they can potentially live a happy, healthy, active life with heart disease. They just need to know that they have it. One of my favorite Heartfelt stories is of one Mother in particular, I remember her distinctively because she came to the screening with her husband to get her teenage son screened. I convinced her and her husband to be screened as well. She was around 55 years old, and we identified her to have a life-threatening cardiac condition. She ended up needing open-heart surgery, and has since recovered and is doing really well. She came back to me about 3 months later and said, "I came to a screening for my son and ended up saving my own life.”  

Morrell has screened nearly 60,000 people in her 25 years of community service. She estimates Heartfelt identifies something concerning in 10-12% of screenings, with 1-2% of people screened having a serious or life-threatening issue. "I've had the privilege of forming meaningful connections with both children and adults whose lives we've saved over the years," said Morrell.  

 This type of testing is not typically done in any yearly annual physical and it’s not a part of any pre-sports participation physical. “These screenings are a crucial step towards early detection of cardiac conditions that can result in sudden cardiac arrest. As a cardiologist, I find great satisfaction in supporting Heartfelt’s mission," said Dawn Atwal, MD, FACC.  

 Heartfelt provides early detection services right here in Newport Beach and the surrounding area. Their "Heartfelt In Office" offering provides cardiac screenings which includes both an EKG & Echocardiogram (cardiac ultrasound), valued at $1,500 for a donation of just $250 per person at a cardiology office in Laguna Beach.  

 The "Heartfelt At Home" service brings the screening to you, setting up a spa-like, luxury one- stop shop for your entire family right in your own home. Anyone in your family can be screened starting at age 5. Be sure to include grandmas, grandpas, aunties, uncles and cousins!  

For businesses, Heartfelt Screenings will come on site to provide screenings for employees through their “Heartfelt At Work” program. A typical day could screen 100-150 people right in the office. This program can be sponsored by the business or paid for by each employee, a turnkey experience for the host.  

 On February 28, Heartfelt Screenings was honored by the city of Laguna Beach as an “Extraordinary Business” for their life-saving work in the community. As Morrell says, they are a small organization doing huge work, and the community’s support through donations and participating in screenings allows them to reach more people.  

Early detection saves lives. To learn more about bringing Heartfelt Screenings to your school, business, or home in Newport Beach and surrounding areas, visit www.heartfeltscreening.org or call (949) 494- 6575.