Medical Center awarded grant for new equipment

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has granted

$64,362 to the North Platte Valley Medical Center (NPVMC) to purchase a Sonosite Ultrasound and a GE Logiq E10 R3 cardiac package 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.

“We are incredibly grateful that once again the Helmsley Charitable Trust has stepped in to ensure that modern technology is available in rural hospitals,” said NPVMC CEO Jeff Mincy.

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 grant allows us to expand our ultrasound program to also include echocardiograms, which is especially important with the prevalence of heart disease in our community,” said Mincy.

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.