ALISON ELLISON:

Sudden cardiac death in children is relatively rare. There are about 1,000 cases annually in the United States. Since 2004, 13 have been recorded in Georgia.

"It doesn't matter how small the number, if it's your child," said Alison Ellison, BSN, RN, PNP, NCSN.

Ellison's mission is to prevent as many of those deaths as she can. In 2004, she accepted the job as coordinator of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Project SAVE at the behest of Dr. Robert Campbell, chief of cardiology at Children's Sibley Heart Center.

"He thought we could do more to prevent sudden cardiac death, and we can, with education, training and defibrillators," Ellison said.

Patterning the program after a successful model in Wisconsin, Ellison helped the Georgia High School Association standardize statewide sports pre-participation school physicals to identify children who might have cardiac problems.

"About half of the conditions are genetic, and there are early warning signs. We knew if we could ask the right questions in the right way, we could identify children at risk and educate their families," Ellison said.

Ellison, 58, crisscrosses Georgia to help schools put emergency response teams in place and defibrillators on site. She provides manuals and training in performing CPR and using defibrillators.

"Many of these deaths could be prevented, but people have to know what to do. You only have three to five minutes to act," she said. "Once schools have a well-defined response team in place, they can handle many types of emergencies."

More than 341 schools have comprehensive plans and have earned Project SAVE/Heart Safe school designation.

"Almost single-handedly, Alison Ellison has educated metro Atlanta and most of the state about critical issues pertaining to pediatric sudden cardiac arrest," Campbell wrote when he nominated Ellison. "Her efforts are unique in the state of Georgia."

A pediatric nurse for 37 years, Ellison had worked in many hospitals around the country before joining the Children's staff in 1988.

"When you work on a hospital floor, you touch children in a close and real way," she said. "Now I'm touching a lot more children, although I don't actually see them. We're making a difference and contributing to saving lives; that's always the fun part of nursing."