The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has granted $550,348 to Ivinson Memorial Hospital to purchase new cardiovascular, point-of-care and anesthesia ultrasound machines 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 point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training opportunities across the state.

“This funding isn’t just upgrading our technology — we’re enhancing access to world-class healthcare for our community,” said Doug Faus, CEO of Ivinson Memorial Hospital. “In places like southeast Wyoming, where access to advanced medical resources can be limited, these new ultrasound machines mean faster, more accurate diagnoses and better care, right here in Laramie.”

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. ​“This new technology will help facilitate higher quality patient care and expand the imaging capabilities for anesthesia, as well as emergency and critical care applications,” said Debbie Pimentel, Senior Director of Surgical Services at Ivinson.

“Diagnostic imaging plays a crucial role in the care of our patients,” added Courtney Keahey, Imaging and Radiology Manager at Ivinson. “[This] new technology and education will enable our technologists to provide more accurate imaging to better help healthcare professionals care for our community.”

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.”

The grants were announced Thursday during a statewide news conference.

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.

About the Helmsley Charitable Trust

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. To date, this program has awarded more than $650 million to organizations and initiatives in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. For more information, visit www.helmsleytrust.org.  

About Ivinson Memorial Hospital

Ivinson Memorial Hospital is a 99-bed, freestanding, locally organized and governed non-profit community hospital dedicated to providing high quality healthcare services to the residents of Albany County since 1917. Services include emergency, behavioral health, cardiac rehabilitation, cardiopulmonary, rehabilitation, medical care, surgical care, intensive care, dialysis, family care, as well as a Cancer Center and Diabetes Clinic. Ivinson Memorial Hospital is affiliated with the University of Colorado Health.  IMH is fully accredited and meets all standards of the Joint Commission (an independent, not-for-profit organization). IMH is also accredited by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.