HSH receives grant for equipment

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has granted $346,794.00 to Hot Springs Health to purchase one Philips Epiq Diagnostic Ultrasound System, and eight Philips Lumify Point-of-Care ultrasound units (POCUS) as part of a statewide ultrasound initiative across Wyoming. The initiative includes nearly $13.9 million to help Wyoming hospitals and health centers purchase ultrasound imaging devices and boost sonography and POCUS training opportunities across the state. The grants were announced Thursday, March 22, during a statewide news conference.

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 provide appropriate treatment.

"We've been using POCUS units for many years as physicians, and we appreciate the support of the Helmsley Charitable Trust which helps us continue to provide state-of-the-art care for our patients," Dr. Mattson Mathey commented.

The Philips Epiq Diagnostic Ultrasound System purchased by Hot Springs Health will be housed in the Diagnostic Imaging Department at the hospital in Thermopolis. The new ultrasound unit will provide improved digital ultrasound images utilizing the most recent technology available to patients. Hot Springs Health purchased the eight POCUS units for use in the clinics located in Thermopolis, Worland, Riverton and Shoshoni, as well as the hospital's emergency department.

"The purchase of the new ultrasound machine and the POCUS units for our physicians allows Hot Springs Health to continue its mission to our communities by providing the highest quality of care," said Chuck Chrisien, Director of Diagnostic Imaging.

Walter Panzirer, a Trustee for the Helmsley Charitable Trust, said the grants will help improve access to quality medical treatment for all Wyoming residents, whether they live in the heart of Cheyenne or Casper or in a smaller rural community.

"Our hospitals and health centers need to stay current with rapidly advancing technology so they can continue to provide top-notch healthcare close to home," Panzirer said. "These grants help ensure that facilities across Wyoming have the latest and greatest ultrasound equipment and training."

About two-thirds (97) of the 143 devices purchased through the $12.3 million in equipment grants are POCUS 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 will also provide 26 general ultrasound systems and 20 cardiovascular ultrasound systems, which aid in imaging of the heart.

The initiative also includes nearly $1.6 million for the University of Wyoming's Wyoming Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training Initiative, which aims to enhance patient care across the state by both broadening the scope of training in specialty ultrasound and bolstering access to quality POCUS services.

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed about $4.5 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. Helmsley's Rural Healthcare Program funds innovative projects that use information technologies to connect rural patients to emergency medical care, bring the latest medical therapies to patients in remote areas, and provide state-of-the-art training for rural hospitals and EMS personnel.