American Heart Association and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to Unveil Hands-Only CPR Training Kiosk at Global Center for Health Innovation to Help Americans Learn a Lifesaving Skill

CLEVELAND, April 7, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Clevelanders and all who visit the Global Center for Health Innovation can learn Hands-Only CPR in about five minutes, where a new interactive kiosk will teach this effective bystander CPR skill. The Global Center for Health Innovation is one of seven U.S. locations where a Hands-Only CPR training kiosk will reside, courtesy of the American Heart Association (AHA) and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation. The kiosk will be unveiled at noon EST April 8 at the Global Center Atrium, 1 St. Clair Avenue NE in Cleveland.

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 and sporting facilities. 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.

Each kiosk has a touch screen with a brief video that shows how to perform Hands-Only CPR followed by a practice session and a 30-second CPR test. 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 kiosk sits in the Global Center for Health Innovation, connected to the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, where more than 200,000 visitors annually visit the facility. The kiosk is located in the Global Center Atrium, near the St. Clair Avenue entrance.  

"Cardiac arrest remains a leading cause of death in the United States, and survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby," said Dr. Judith Mackall, AHA local board member, Director of Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. "Increasing the number of bystander responders we have who can step in to perform CPR if necessary strengthens the chain of survival here in Cleveland. Although in-person training is still the best way to learn the skills necessary for high-quality CPR, the kiosk will provide additional training that could make a difference and save the life of someone you love." 

"About 90 percent of cardiac arrest victims die, often because bystanders don't know how to start CPR or are afraid they'll do something wrong," said Scott Misischia of the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation. "Bystander CPR, especially if administered immediately, can double or triple a cardiac victim's chance of survival, which is why the Hands-Only CPR education available at the kiosk is so valuable. In just a matter of a few minutes, visitors will learn a skill that can potentially make a difference in the lives of those they love most as well as others."

The other airports with kiosks include Chicago O'Hare International (ORD), Indianapolis International (IND), and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL); in coming weeks kiosks will be added at Las Vegas' McCarran International (LAS) and Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI). An additional kiosk will also reside in Washington, D.C.

"We at the Global Center for Health Innovation are happy to be part of this effort to empower visitors to our venue with knowledge of how to perform the life-saving skill of Hands-Only CPR," said Fred DeGrandis, Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer for the Global Center. "As one of the seven locations that house these Hands-Only CPR kiosks, we look forward to welcoming all locals and visitors to stop by and use the kiosk to learn."

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 the perfect cadence for proper CPR.

"The kiosks will help travelers understand how simple it is to perform the two steps of Hands-Only CPR, which will hopefully help reduce some of the trepidation that people have about performing bystander CPR," said Amanda Miller, Metro Vice President with the AHA.  "After completing the kiosk training, we hope people will feel empowered knowing they are taking the first steps in learning a critical skill."

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 devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America's No. 1 and No. 5 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. As part of our dedication to save lives, we are setting out to train all Americans in lifesaving Hands-Only CPR. To learn more or to get involved, call the local American Heart Association office at 216-791-7500 or visit them online at www.heart.org.

About the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation
Through charitable grant making, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation LLC, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, promotes Anthem's inherent commitment to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield serves. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company's Associate Giving program which provides a 50 percent match of associates' campaign pledges, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars for Doers community service programs. ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About the Global Center for Health Innovation
Located in the heart of downtown Cleveland, the Global Center for Health Innovation serves as a catalyst for fundamental improvements in health and in healthcare quality, access, and cost through technology-driven showroom spaces and industry-inspired meetings and programs. The Global Center is the only facility in the world that displays the future of health and healthcare presented on four floors dedicated to showcasing innovation that will improve patient outcomes and lower healthcare costs. The Global Center is the trusted forum for learning, collaboration and discovery that powers healthcare transformation. A focal point for healthcare conventions, trade shows, and industry-specific meetings, the Global Center is home to more than 30 tenant partners, including GE Healthcare, Siemens, Philips, Cisco, Johnson Controls, Forbo, and the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) along with Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals.

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SOURCE American Heart Association

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http://www.americanheart.org