VIRGINIA — Essentia Health-Virginia received a grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust for the purchase of ultrasound equipment.
Several other Essentia facilities received grant funds, as well, totaling more than $1.4 million overall.
Essentia Health-Virginia’s $292,600 grant is part of a $26.4 million ultrasound initiative in Minnesota. The initiative includes nearly $18.3 million to help Minnesota hospitals and health centers purchase ultrasound imaging devices and an additional $8.1 million to boost sonography and point of care ultrasound training opportunities across the state.
“We are so very grateful for this generous donation that will allow us to update our sonography offerings and deliver these services to our patients close to home with the best available technology,” said Julie Singewald, vice president of medical imaging for Essentia, in a news release.
Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of structures inside the body. This safe, cost-effective tool supports other clinical information to help providers make timely diagnoses and deliver appropriate treatment, Essentia Health stated.
Walter Panzirer, a trustee for the Helmsley Charitable Trust, said the grants will help improve access to exceptional medical treatment for all Minnesotans, whether they live in the heart of Minneapolis or a smaller rural or underserved community.
“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,” Panzirer said in the release. “These grants help ensure that facilities across Minnesota have the latest and greatest ultrasound equipment and training.”
The grants were announced Tuesday, March 21, during a news conference at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis.
They will result in the purchase of 109 point of care ultrasound machines, which are used by providers at the bed or tableside for immediate assessment of a patient to quickly determine a course of action. The grants also will yield 69 general ultrasound systems and 18 cardiovascular ultrasound systems, to aid in imaging of the heart.
