Seven leading healthcare providers have been selected as recipients of the eighth annual 2015 Putting Patients First grants, which will fund education and training programs to improve the patient experience and safety in diagnostic imaging. The Association for Medical Imaging Management (AHRA) and Toshiba America Medical Systems awarded one grant of up to $20,000 to an Integrated Delivery Network (IDN) and six grants of up to $7,500 – three focused on pediatric imaging, and three on overall patient care and safety in imaging.
“Grant programs like Putting Patients First are critical to improving patient care in medical imaging, given the pressures and changes hospitals face due to reform and limited financial resources,” says Ernie Cerdena, CRA, FAHRA, President, AHRA. “This year’s selected recipients demonstrated unique programs that will make significant improvements to patient care, and these innovative programs will serve as a best-practices tool that can be adapted by other healthcare providers.”
The IDN grant has been awarded to:
- University of Virginia Health System (Charlottesville, Va.) – will implement a comprehensive MRI education program targeting children and their parents to help reduce pediatric sedation and anesthesia during exams.
Pediatric and overall patient care grants have been awarded to:
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Calif.) – will incorporate a quality improvement initiative to define an internal standard for reporting and recommendations when evaluating pediatric breast ultrasound images.
- ProMedica Toledo Hospital (Toledo, Ohio) – will establish the Tranquility program, which will implement distraction and relaxation methods, such as music therapy, to reduce stress in and radiation exposure to pediatric patients.
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (Cincinnati, Ohio) – will create patient-friendly MRI and CT preparation rooms that will improve the comfort and overall experience of patients and families.
- Boca Raton Regional Hospital (Boca Raton, Fla.) – will create an app or a series of short video clips, provided on a mobile device, that will educate patients on the various exams they are scheduled to have.
- Holy Name Medical Center (Teaneck, N.J.) – will establish the Radiation Awareness to Reduce Radiation Exposure (R.A.R.E.) program, which will offer medical staff and community members extended training on medical imaging radiation.
- Jefferson Outpatient Imaging (Norriton, Pa.) – will purchase fleece jackets to keep patients warm and more comfortable during PET/CT scans. The jackets will also make intravenous injections easier with hidden zippers.
“At Toshiba, we have a strong commitment to safety, education and the development of best practices that can be shared with other institutions,” says Cathy Wolfe, Senior Director, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Toshiba. “The Putting Patients First grant program makes it possible for many healthcare providers to fund important education and training programs that meet their specific hospital needs and unique patient population.”
