The odds of surviving sudden cardiac arrest can double when someone quickly receives cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR.) UR Medicine leaders, in collaboration with the American Heart Association, today introduced New York’s first mobile hands-only CPR training station to expand our community’s skills and save lives.
The portable CPR kiosk – only the second in the U.S. – is a tremendous resource, bringing critical training opportunities to residents of the Rochester and Finger Lakes region, and potentially improving the bystander response rate.
“CPR is undeniably the best response when someone suffers cardiac arrest,” said Spencer Rosero, M.D., interim chief of UR Medicine Cardiac Care. In fact, URMC researchers published early research on the successful use of CPR in 1962, leading to its acceptance and broad use.
“The University of Rochester Medical Center, as the region’s leading healthcare provider, takes its responsibility seriously and this is an opportunity to increase CPR skills and confidence to perform CPR. We are bringing this training to the community, meeting them where they are,” Rosero said.
The teaching station includes a touchscreen with a video program to provide brief training followed by a practice session and a 30-second test. It has a built-in, rubber torso, or manikin, to guide proper hand placement as well as compression rate and depth. It offers real-time feedback to strengthen the technique.
Working with local organizations, UR Medicine will bring the portable system to various community locations, expanding opportunities for training. The first stop will be at Buffalo Bills Training Camp, where the team is welcoming the kiosk. As many recall, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin survived an on-field cardiac arrest, which shined a spotlight on the importance of being “CPR ready.”
“We witnessed how an immediate response helped save Damar Hamlin’s life. He is back in uniform and we’ll see him at Camp later this week,” said Stephanie Von Bacho, MS, RN, NEA-BC, senior director of Learning and Development at the University of Rochester Medical Center and UR Medicine. “Everyone should be ready to respond if someone nearby experiences a similar crisis.”
UR Medicine has a long history of teamwork with the Heart Association, which created the mobile hands-only CPR kiosk. This initiative elevates their shared goal of improving CPR bystander response rates.
“Less than half of all people who need CPR receive it from bystanders before professional help arrives,” said Jason Stulb, executive director of the American Heart
Association, Rochester. “Knowing how to respond in a cardiac emergency when seconds matter can be the difference between life and death. Thanks to UR Medicine, our Life Fierce. Take Action. supporter, we are able to use innovative ways, like this mobile CPR kiosk, to improve the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest in our community. We are committed to creating a Nation of Lifesavers through training and education like this.”
Each year, more than 350,000 people experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, according to the AHA. That’s almost 1,000 every day.
During cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating, or beating effectively, which prevents blood flow to the brain and the rest of the body. When the brain is deprived of oxygen-rich blood, the risk of neurologic damage increases. CPR helps maintain some blood flow until medical help arrives.
Recent data shows that in Monroe and Livingston counties, only 32 percent of people who suffered cardiac arrest at home received CPR prior to the arrival of an ambulance. That rate is below the national target of 45 percent.
“Our entire healthcare system is committed to saving lives. We are able to improve outcomes when someone has received CPR prior to arriving in our Emergency Department,” Kathy Parrinello, chief operating officer of UR Medicine’s Strong Memorial Hospital, said. “If you are CPR trained, you can help someone else – a loved one, a friend or neighbor, or a stranger – maximize their chances of survival to live better and live longer after cardiac arrest.”
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