March 6, 2017 — Seven leading healthcare providers will be able to fund education and training programs to improve the patient experience and safety in diagnostic imaging, thanks to the ninth annual 2016 Putting Patients First grants. AHRA: The Association for Medical Imaging Management and Toshiba Medical recently 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.
“Diagnostic imaging plays a significant role in improving patient care, but many healthcare providers may not have the resources to implement the right training and education to diagnose diseases earlier and more accurately, making programs like Putting Patients First critical,” said Jason Newmark, CRA, FAHRA, president, AHRA. “This year’s selected recipients presented distinct programs that will improve safety and patient care, as well as provide new best practices to share with many other hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout the country.”
The IDN grant has been awarded to:
- New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center (New York, N.Y.) will create a pediatric-friendly numbing wrap to place on IV injection sites to help ease pain and fear, and reduce anesthesia use, in children receiving an injection.
Pediatric grants have been awarded to:
- Connecticut Children's Medical Center (Hartford, Conn.) will create a series of YouTube videos that describe the imaging experience to improve communication and help prepare patients and their families for upcoming exams;
- Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center (Chamberlain, S.D.) will be able to leverage new ultrasound technologies for safer, less invasive exams to diagnose acute appendicitis in pediatric patients; and
- Community Wellness Center (West Linn, Ore.) will create a mobile radiography room with safeguards like lead walls to reduce radiation exposure, helping to improve patient safety and expand the services the center is able to offer.
Overall patient care and safety grants have been awarded to:
- St. Luke’s Hospital (Maumee, Ohio) will improve the video and audio technology it uses during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams to alleviate patient claustrophobia and reduce the need for sedation, improving comfort, safety and the overall patient experience;
- Shands at the University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) will establish educational training to decrease radiation dose in fluoroscopy by performing only clinically indicated procedures, which will also help improve workflow and reduce patient wait times; and
- HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center (Green Bay, Wis.) will purchase a patient lift for its fluoroscopy room, which will help reduce injuries to staff and improve safety and comfort for patients.
For more information: www.ahra.org
March 13, 2026 
