American Heart Association and Northside Hospital unveil metro-area’s third CPR training kiosk at Georgia World Congress Center
ATLANTA – (November 29, 2018) – To save more lives from cardiac arrest, the American Heart Association (AHA) operates Hands-Only CPR kiosks in high-traffic places, such as airports, museums, and other locations to teach the general public how easy it is to learn this lifesaving skill. Through the support of sponsor Northside Hospital, the third American Heart Association CPR kiosk in Atlanta was placed at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) on Nov. 29 to teach convention visitors and team members how to save a life when an emergency happens.
Every year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital and more than 20 percent occur in public places like airports, casinos, sporting facilities and workplaces. The Hands-Only CPR education available at each kiosk helps users understand how they can immediately help a person who experiences a cardiac emergency outside of a hospital.
The kiosk features a touch screen with a video program that provides a brief introduction and overview of Hands-Only CPR, followed by a practice session and a 30-second test session. With the help of a practice manikin, or a rubber torso, the kiosk gives feedback about the depth and rate of compressions and proper hand placement – factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR. The entire training takes about five minutes.
“Cardiac arrest remains a leading cause of death in the United States, and survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby,” said Hank Linginfelter, chairman of the Metro Atlanta American Heart Association advisory board. “Although in-person training is still the best way to learn the skills necessary for high-quality CPR, the kiosk will provide training that could make a difference and provide help in an emergency. More than a million people visit the Georgia World Congress Center annually, think about how many life savers we could train.”
“Time is critical in a cardiac emergency – every minute matters,” said Dr. Jack Chen, Interventional Cardiology Medical Director, Northside Hospital. “We are proud to partner with the American Heart Association and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority to make CPR training more accessible, so that treatment can be started sooner, and more lives are saved.”
The two simple steps of Hands-Only CPR are: if a bystander sees a teen or adult collapse, he or she should first call 9-1-1. Then push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive,” which has 100 beats per minute (bpm). The Bee Gees’ song has the minimum rate you should push on the chest during Hands-Only CPR.
“The American Heart Association and Northside Hospital are helping to empower visitors to the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s campus to feel comfortable and confident helping a fellow colleague, family member, friend or stranger in need,” added the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s chief commercial officer Joe Bocherer. “We appreciate their efforts to spread these critical life-saving skills as this kiosk is an important addition to our facility and yet another example of how we are committed to being the best destination in the industry.”
Anthem Foundation is the American Heart Association’s national partner and founding partner of the kiosk program. CPR kiosks are also located in Concourse A at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and The Home Depot Store Support Center. The American Heart Association’s goal is to train more than 22 million people in CPR each year.
To learn more about the Hands-Only CPR campaign and learn how to save a life, visit www.heart.org/handsonlycpr or facebook.com/AHACPR.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a leading force for a world of longer, healthier lives. With nearly a century of lifesaving work, the Dallas-based association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health for all. We are a trustworthy source empowering people to improve their heart health, brain health and well-being. We collaborate with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, advocate for stronger public health policies, and share lifesaving resources and information. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
About Northside Hospital
The Northside Hospital health care system is one of Georgia’s leading health care providers with more than 150 locations across the state, including three acute care, state-of-the-art hospitals in Atlanta, Cherokee County and Forsyth County. Northside Hospital leads the U.S. in newborn deliveries and is among the state’s top providers of cancer care and surgical services. Northside has 3,000 physicians and 16,000 employees who serve more than 3 million patient visits annually across a full range of medical services.
About the Georgia World Congress Center
Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority campus, which includes the Georgia World Congress Center, Centennial Olympic Park, and state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Stadium, is the No. 1 convention, sports and entertainment destination in the world. Learn more about why at www.gwcca.org.
