MINNESOTA — Last week it was announced clinics and hospitals would be receive $26.4 million as part of an ultrasound initiative that included New Ulm and Springfield.

The initiative includes nearly $18.3 million to help Minnesota hospitals and health centers purchase ultrasound imaging devices and an additional $8.1 million to boost sonography and POCUS training opportunities across the state.

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has granted nearly $6.2 million to the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) Foundation to provide point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training across Minnesota in partnership with High Quality Medical Education (HQMEDED) as part of a $26.4 million ultrasound initiative in Minnesota.

The initiative provides point-of-care ultrasound training to health care providers across the state to improve patient care and access, especially in rural and underserved areas of the state.

More than half of the 196 devices purchased through the grants (109) 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 also provide 69 general ultrasound systems and 18 cardiovascular ultrasound systems, which aid heart imaging.

The initiative includes more than $8.1 million to train new sonographers, offer continuing education to sonographers and ultrasound technologists, and provide comprehensive POCUS training to doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. Training grants include more than $917,000 to the Minnesota Rural Health Association to support sonographer training in rural and underserved areas of the state, more than $1 million to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to expand St. Cloud Technical & Community College’s sonography program, and nearly $6.2 million to the MAFP Foundation which will partner with HQMEDED to provide POCUS training across the state.

New Ulm Medical Center (NUMC) purchased new ultrasound equipment to replace old machines. One ultrasound machine will be going to the Springfield clinic in May.