NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Pediatric Residents and Newtown High School Train Students and Teachers to Handle Cardiac Arrest

NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Pediatric Residents and Newtown High School Train Students and Teachers to Handle Cardiac Arrest

Jun 22, 2026

NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst today announced its pediatric residents trained nearly 200 students and staff at Newtown High School in cardiac arrest awareness and response earlier this spring. The contribution helped Newtown High School become the first school in Queens to earn a Project ADAM designation, a nationally recognized achievement that demonstrates the school's commitment to cardiac emergency preparedness and student safety. Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam's Memory) is a national initiative focused on preventing sudden cardiac death in schools through education, planning, access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and emergency response training. To receive designation, schools must establish a cardiac emergency response plan, ensure appropriate AED access, conduct drills, and train staff to respond effectively during an emergency.

School officials, students, educators, and administrators and pediatricians from NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst recently gathered to celebrate the milestone, which recognizes Newtown High School's successful implementation of a comprehensive cardiac emergency response program designed to help save lives in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.

"I am incredibly proud of our pediatric residents for taking the lead on this important initiative and sharing their expertise with the Newtown High School community," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Alina Moran. "The Project ADAM designation is a fantastic way to empower students, teachers, and school staff with the skills and confidence to act quickly when someone is experiencing a medical emergency. Through this collaboration Newtown High School and Elmhurst have modeled how hospitals and schools can come together to help community members save lives."

"The Project Adam initiative at Newtown High School exemplifies the tenets of advocacy and community outreach that the Pediatrics team at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst values," said NYC Health + Hospital/Elmhurst Chief of Pediatrics Dr. Randi Wasserman. "The partnership of our residents, led by Dr. Dhruv Kalawadia with the community of Newtown High School, made this project the success that it is. It is exciting and so satisfying to see these values that we hold so dearly put to work in the places it is most needed. Kudos to all involved in the success of Project Adam. We are excited about future collaborations."

"The Project Adam initiative at Newtown High School is a prime example of the community advocacy and leadership we hope to inspire in our residents," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Vice Chair of Pediatrics Dr. Jennifer Pintiliano-Gemmo. "Thank you to Dhruv Kalawadia, whose vision and dedication guided this project from conception to successful completion, as well as to the residents, faculty, and staff whose contributions made it possible. We are proud of this collaboration and look forward to partnering with the amazing team at Newtown High School on future initiatives that will continue to benefit their students and the community."

"Teaching hands-on CPR to students at Newtown High School and helping the school develop a sudden cardiac event response plan has been one of the true highlights of my residency," said Dhruv Kalawadia, MD, Pediatric Resident at Elmhurst Hospital. "This experience wouldn't have been possible without the unwavering support of Elmhurst Hospital, Newtown High School, my Pediatric Residency Program leadership, and my fellow residents. The opportunity to equip young people with the skills to save a life is a profound privilege. If even one student walks away feeling empowered to act in a cardiac emergency, our mission will have been complete. Getting to interact with these students and play a small role in guiding their future endeavors - many of them aspiring nurses and healthcare professionals - was the icing on the cake."

"At Newtown High School, we believe that career exploration should be connected to authentic experiences and meaningful partnerships. Our collaboration with NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and Project ADAM has provided students with far more than CPR and AED certification. It has given them direct exposure to the healthcare profession and the opportunity to develop skills that can save lives," said Newtown High School Principal Bill Psoras. "As we continue to expand our Pre-Nursing and Diagnostic Medicine pathway, partnerships like this help bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace, allowing students to learn from healthcare professionals while envisioning themselves in those careers. We are deeply grateful to Elmhurst Hospital for its unwavering support of our students, our school, and our community. Together, we are not only creating a safer school but also opening doors for the next generation of healthcare professionals and community leaders."

"As the Community Associate at Newtown High School, I am proud to see our school leading the way in student safety and health awareness," said Newtown High School Community Associate Melissa Cascio. "This Project ADAM designation shows the hard work and dedication of our students, staff, and partners in creating a safer environment. Together, we are building a stronger, community that looks out for one another. Thank you, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst!"

"This recognition reflects Newtown High School's commitment to protecting students, staff, and visitors," said Project ADAM New York Co-founder and Coordinator Dana Colasante. "On behalf of Project ADAM New York, thank you to the entire Newtown High School community for your commitment to keeping your campus safe. It will save lives."

According to the American Heart Association, immediate CPR and rapid access to an AED can dramatically improve survival rates following sudden cardiac arrest. Programs such as Project ADAM help schools establish the preparedness needed to respond quickly when every second counts.

The designation also highlights the strong and growing partnership between Newtown High School and NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. In recent years, the hospital and the school have collaborated on volunteer initiatives, cultural celebrations, holiday donation drives, health education programs, and student engagement activities. Hospital and school administrators hope to continue expanding opportunities for students through future workforce development and healthcare career pathway programs.

For more information on programs and services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, please call . Follow us on social media (Instagram and Facebook) at @elmhursthosp.

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Media Contact: Atiya Butler, Director of External Affairs at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, 917 319-5167

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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, part of the NYC Health + Hospitals health care system, is the major tertiary care provider in the borough of Queens. The 545-bed hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center, an Emergency Heart Care Station, a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Receiving Center, a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Center of Excellence, and a 911-Receiving Hospital. It is a premiere health care institution offering exceptional services across a wide range of specialties, including surgery, cardiology, women's health, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, renal services, and mental health care. In the past year alone, the hospital received nearly one million ambulatory care visits and over 140,000 emergency room visits, reflecting its essential role in the community. NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst has been nationally ranked and recognized as a "Best Regional Hospital" by U.S. News & World Report in critical areas such as Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Stroke, Hip Fracture, Maternity, Kidney Failure, Orthopedics, Pneumonia, and COPD.

About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city's five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system's trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlusHealth -all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.