Heart health meets community action: CPR kiosk opens in Richmond

The American Heart Association is making it easier than ever to learn CPR. Here’s what you need to know about Richmond’s new interactive training kiosk.

The first ever interactive hands-only CPR kiosk was launched at The Market at 25th in Richmond on October 9. The mobile installation was created by The American Heart Association as a way to help people learn this life-saving skill in a matter of minutes.

The Executive Director for the American Heart Association, Michelle Nostheide, told 8NEWS that the kiosk is designed to provide you with feedback to ensure you understand what you’ve done properly and what may need improvement. “You get a test at the end to see if you’re using deep enough compressions, if you’re using the right pace, so that it gives you some really good feedback so you can continue to practice and get better,” she said.

The AHA specifically narrowed in on the East End community when determining where to install the CPR kiosk. “We know that life expectancy is about 20 years lower here than it is across the river and west over hills. And we know that people are at higher risk here,” Nostheide told the news outlet.

Approximately 70% of all cardiac arrests that happen outside of a hospital occur in public places or in people’s homes. And, according to the AHA, about 90% of people who experience a cardiac event outside of a hospital unfortunately do not survive. By giving residents the opportunity to repeatedly practice their CPR skills, the organization hopes to empower them to provide assistance during a cardiac emergency.

How it works 

To learn CPR through the Market on 25th’s hands-only kiosk, you’ll first tap the touch screen to watch an introductory video that explains how to properly perform the life-saving measure. This is followed by a test session that lasts about 30 seconds where you’ll practice CPR on a rubber torso. As you’re attempting the measure, the kiosk will provide you with helpful feedback on the rate and depth of your compressions, as well as your hand placement. Each of these impacts how effective CPR is, so you’ll need to ensure you’re mastering each element with practice. The training takes about five or so minutes to complete.

Locals have already been practicing CPR at the kiosk 

The Market at 25th’s store director, Rodney Saunders, told 8News that he’s been practicing at the CPR kiosk every day since it was installed. “I do it every day, pretty much. And it has ‘Stayin Alive’ music going on when you, when you’re doing your compressions and stuff,” he said. For those unfamiliar, the beat of “Stayin Alive” helps you keep the right rhythm when you’re performing CPR which ensures that you properly time out the compressions.

For Saunders, having access to this resource is deeply personal. A colleague of his, Jason Chalmers, died after experiencing a cardiac event in his car as he was taking his child to school. Speaking of Chalmers, Saunders said he was, “Not only a good worker, but a real, real good friend. When they brought this idea to us, I was the first one to jump on it because for me personally, I didn’t know how to do it myself.”

Given the mobile nature of the kiosk, The American Heart Association has plans to move it over the next three years to nine different locations throughout Richmond and Central Virginia.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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