The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has announced grants totaling $26.4 million to help Minnesota hospitals and health centers purchase ultrasound imaging devices and train technicians.

The grants include $18.3 million dedicated to the purchase of nearly 200 ultrasound imaging devices and $8.1 million focused on training opportunities for sonography and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) across the state. More than half the devices purchased through the grants will be POCUS machines, which are used by providers at the bedside or tableside to immediately assess a patient and quickly determine a course of action. The grants will also provide 69 general ultrasound systems and 18 cardiovascular ultrasound systems, which aid in imaging the heart.

The training grants include more than $917,000 to the Minnesota Rural Health Association in support of sonographer training in rural and underserved areas of the state, more than $1 million to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to expand St. Cloud Technical & Community College’s sonography program, and nearly $6.2 million to the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, which will partner with High Quality Medical Education to provide POCUS training across the state.

“Our hospitals and health centers need to stay current with rapidly advancing technology so they can continue to provide top-notch health care close to home,” said Helmsley Charitable Trust trustee Walter Panzirer. “These grants help ensure that facilities across Minnesota have the latest and greatest ultrasound equipment and training.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/andresr)