HARDIN, Mont. — The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust recently granted $260,199 to One Health, which has a clinic in Powell, to purchase point-of-care 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.

“The grant-provided ultrasound machines will be used to increase and improve the services provided in One Health Clinics,” said Dr. Sarah Sowerwine of One Health.

“Common clinic procedures such as joint injections can now be performed with the ultrasound to ensure correct placement, even for more challenging cases,” she added.

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 will also be able to perform ultrasounds in the clinic to assess for conditions that we commonly have to refer out. This provides more affordable care within a more rapid time frame. The best thing is that with the point of care ultrasounds we may be able to prevent some patients from having to go to the ER for urgent evaluation, also saving patients money and time,” said Dr. Sowerwine.

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 health care 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 table side 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 grant making 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 helmsleytrust.org.