Charleroi students get virtual look at open heart surgery

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

A group of Charleroi Area High School students stepped virtually into an operating room recently to witness open heart surgery.

Michele Piatt worked for more than a year to give her anatomy and physiology students an opportunity to watch a live heart surgery.

Last year, she was sixth in line for the Live from the Heart program, based out of Chicago, but didn’t make the cut.

This year, she applied early and received word in August that she was accepted.

The Live from the Heart program is sponsored by the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

Each Live from the Heart is offered simultaneously to four classrooms around the country that participate in the same program through video conference.

Piatt’s class was the only school selected from Pennsylvania for the opportunity. 

The classes tune in together, led by trained museum educators, who facilitate the program before connecting with Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill., to watch the surgery live.

Piatt, who has taught biology in the district for 18 years, took over the anatomy program three years ago and has tried to offer her students unique opportunities. 

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