AHRA and Toshiba Now Accepting Putting Patients First Grant Applications

For the sixth year in a row, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., is teaming with AHRA: The Association for Medical Imaging Management to offer grants to winning imaging education and patient care improvement programs at hospitals and imaging centers. Toshiba is funding the program with an unrestricted educational grant that will be handed out to six winning programs. Each grant will be $7,500 or less and three of the $7,500 grants will got o projects that improve pediatric imaging. In addition, a grant of up to $20,000 will be awarded to an integrated delivery network (IDN) or hospital system for a project that improves patient care and safety in imaging across the entire network or system.   “The Putting Patients First grants allow healthcare facilities to increase the quality and efficiency of patient care,” said AHRA president Carlos Vasquez, CRA, FAHRA, in the press release. “The creativity and success of the previous winners show what can be accomplished with these grants.” Putting Patients First applicants are judged on their program plan and ability to share best practices. The applicants’ programs should address one or more of the following:

• Reducing radiation and/or contrast dose
• Reducing the need for sedation
• Improving communication with patients regarding the process
• Improving patient comfort
• Improving the overall clinical pathway

  Grant applications and instructions are posted at www.ahraonline.org and www.medical.toshiba.com. The application deadline is October 14, 2013. Winners will be announced in December.