AHRA announces third Patients First grant program to provide health care facilities

Healthcare facilities across the country are committed to providing the highest levels of patient care and safety for their communities. To help facilities build new or expand existing education and patient care initiatives, AHRA: The Association for Medical Imaging Management announces the third year of its successful Putting Patients First grant program. Putting Patients First grants provide healthcare facilities with the resources to improve imaging quality and safety for patients. Putting Patients First is funded by an unrestricted educational grant from Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.

“With the Putting Patients First grant, we are continuing this mission by giving hospitals and imaging centers the ability to develop programs that improve the care provided to patients.”

The AHRA & Toshiba Putting Patients First Program will provide six grants of up to $7,500 each to hospitals and imaging centers to fund programs, training or seminars aimed at improving pediatric or adult patient care and safety within diagnostic imaging in the areas of CT, MR, Ultrasound, X-ray and Vascular. Three grants will be awarded for projects that improve the safety and comfort of pediatric imaging, and three grants will be awarded for projects that improve overall patient care and safety in imaging. Winning facilities will then develop and share their best practices with others.

In its first two years, the Putting Patients First grant program has helped facilities develop programs that improve patient care and safety, including purchasing bismuth shielding for use during CT scans, identifying patients who may have complications with imaging contrast, streamlining scheduling of patients for imaging procedures and educating pediatric patients about what to expect during a CT exam.

"The Putting Patients First grants from the AHRA and Toshiba provide healthcare facilities with resources that otherwise might not be available," said AHRA president, Debra A. Lopez, CRA, FAHRA. "For the past two years, the funds have been used by winning facilities to improve safety and comfort for patients and provide education for physicians, which are two very important factors in providing top-tier care."

Putting Patients First applicants will be judged on their plan for a program to improve pediatric or adult patient care and safety in imaging and their ability to share best imaging practices. The applicants' programs should seek to improve imaging practices and address one or more of the following:

• Reducing radiation and/or contrast dose
• Reducing the need for sedation
• Improving communication with patients regarding the process
• Improving patient comfort
• Improving the overall clinical pathway

"Toshiba is committed to improving patient care by developing innovative and advanced medical imaging technologies," said Cathy Wolfe, senior director, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Toshiba. "With the Putting Patients First grant, we are continuing this mission by giving hospitals and imaging centers the ability to develop programs that improve the care provided to patients."

The AHRA will award six Putting Patients First grants of up to $7,500. All eligible facilities are encouraged to apply by completing an application at www.ahraonline.org or www.medical.toshiba.com. The deadline to apply is October 15, 2010.