2018 Grant Recipients:
• University of Maryland Medical Center, Maryland, MD: Taking care of those who wait
• Inova Alexandria Hospital, Alexandria, Virginia: Patient comfort and safety in mammography
• CARTI Cancer Center, Little Rock, AR: Improving patient clinical pathway with point-of-care lab testing
• University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL: Exploring role of 3D printing in managing pancreatic cancer
• CHI St. Luke’s Health The Vintage Hospital, Houston, TX: Improving pediatric CT protocols through clinical dose optimization system
• Nemours Children’s Hospital, Orlando, FL: Reducing sedation in pediatric MRI scanning through the use of MRI mini models and play based therapy
• Einstein Healthcare Network, Philadelphia, PA: Automatic detection of intracranial hemorrhage on non-contrast CT Brain images
2017 Grant Recipients:
The IDN grant has been awarded to:
• Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, Mass.) will add in-bore lighting and a cinematic projector to help ease pediatric patients’ and parents’ anxiety during imaging exams and potentially eliminate the use of anesthesia.
Pediatric grants have been awarded to:
• Altru Health System (Grand Forks, N.D.) will create educational materials to explain the imaging process to families, enhance room appearance with calm lighting and artwork and provide visual diversions with projected images on the walls and ceilings to make imaging exams more comfortable for pediatric patients.
• Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Foundation (Omaha, Neb.) can expand its 3D Printing Program, which will allow physicians to more effectively and safely treat heart defects, with better visualization of pediatric patients’ hearts with 3D models.
• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Calif.) will complete and publish a study to improve the understanding of the role of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) following transabdominal ultrasound as an ideal noninvasive tool without the use of ionizing radiation for pediatric patients.
Overall patient care and safety grants have been awarded to:
• CARTI Cancer Center (Little Rock, Ark.) will fund blanket warmers for all patients undergoing exams in cool imaging rooms to provide comfort and reduce the need to use valium, so that clinicians can capture better images and avoid repeat exams.
• Nemaha Valley Community Hospital (Seneca, Kan.) will purchase a portable ultrasound unit, to be shared between its outpatient clinic and OB and ER departments, to help physicians evaluate fetal heartbeats or check fetal positioning quickly.
• UT Health: The University of Texas Health Science Center (Houston, Texas) will create educational videos that provide patients with accurate information relating to the procedures they are about to undergo, to reduce anxiety and help them to be prepared
2016 Grant Recipients:
IDN grant awarded to:
- New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center (New York, N.Y.) will create a pediatric-friendly numbing wrap to place on IV injection sites to help ease pain and fear, and reduce anesthesia use, in children receiving an injection.
Pediatric and overall care grants have been awarded to:
- Connecticut Children's Medical Center (Hartford, Conn.) will create a series of YouTube videos that describe the imaging experience to improve communication and help prepare patients and their families for upcoming exams.
- Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center (Chamberlain, S.D.) will be able to leverage new ultrasound technologies for safer, less invasive exams to diagnose acute appendicitis in pediatric patients.
- Community Wellness Center (West Linn, Ore.) will create a mobile radiography room with safeguards like lead walls to reduce radiation exposure, helping to improve patient safety and expand the services the Center is able to offer.
- St. Luke’s Hospital (Maumee, Ohio) will improve the video and audio technology it uses during MRI exams to alleviate patient claustrophobia and reduce the need for sedation, improving comfort, safety and the overall patient experience.
- Shands at the University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) will establish educational training to decrease radiation dose in fluoroscopy by performing only clinically indicated procedures, which will also help improve workflow and reduce patient wait times.
- HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center (Green Bay, Wis.) will purchase a patient lift for its fluoroscopy room, which will help reduce injuries to staff and improve safety and comfort for patients.
2015 Grant Recipients:
IDN grant awarded to:
- University of Virginia Health System (Charlottesville, Va.) – will implement a comprehensive MRI education program targeting children and their parents to help reduce pediatric sedation and anesthesia during exams.
Pediatric and overall care grants have been awarded to:
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Calif.) – will incorporate a quality improvement initiative to define an internal standard for reporting and recommendations when evaluating pediatric breast ultrasound images.
- ProMedica Toledo Hospital (Toledo, Ohio) – will establish the Tranquility program, which will implement distraction and relaxation methods, such as music therapy, to reduce stress in and radiation exposure to pediatric patients.
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (Cincinnati, Ohio) – will create patient-friendly MRI and CT preparation rooms that will improve the comfort and overall experience of patients and families.
- Boca Raton Regional Hospital (Boca Raton, Fla.) – will create an app or a series of short video clips, provided on a mobile device, that will educate patients on the various exams they are scheduled to have.
- Holy Name Medical Center (Teaneck, N.J.) – will establish the Radiation Awareness to Reduce Radiation Exposure (R.A.R.E.) program, which will offer medical staff and community members extended training on medical imaging radiation.
- Jefferson Outpatient Imaging (Norriton, Pa.) – will purchase fleece jackets to keep patients warm and more comfortable during PET/CT scans. The jackets will also make intravenous injections easier with hidden zippers.
2014 Grant Recipients:
IDN grant awarded to:
- Nemours Children’s Health System (Orlando, Fla.) – will create an interactive application to be used at the point of care to reduce anxiety and provide patients and their family members with more detailed information on upcoming diagnostic exams.
Pediatric and overall care grants have been awarded to:
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (Los Angeles) – will review CT exam history to determine ways to increase the utilization of Rapid-Sequence MRI and reduce radiation exposure for the evaluation of hydrocephalus in pediatric patients.
- SUNY Upstate University Hospital (Syracuse, N.Y.) – will create a child-friendly environment in its fluoroscopy and nuclear medicine rooms to reduce radiation dosage and sedation usage, and increase patient and family satisfaction.
- University of Maryland Medical System (Baltimore) – will create a new training program to teach its radiology technologists how to approach and interact with children undergoing medical imaging.
- Ozarks Community Hospital of Gravette (Gravette, Ark.) – will establish a comprehensive pediatric program called KidSTRONG to reduce radiation dose, improve comfort, and increase understanding of procedures for both patients and parents.
- Providence Healthcare Network (Waco, Texas) – will integrate an “implant alert” into its electronic medical record system to improve the screening process and safety of patients undergoing MRI.
- Metrohealth System (Cleveland) – will research the issue of “alarm fatigue,” where technologists become desensitized to the constant noise during MRI exams and miss critical warnings.
2013 Grant Recipients:
IDN grant awarded to:
- OhioHealth (Columbus, OH) - OhioHealth's Lung Cancer Screening Program: will use a video developed and produced by OhioHealth Cancer Services to highlight the advantages of a comprehensive approach to lung cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment, as well as the importance of smoking cessation.
Three pediatric programs:
- Medical City Dallas Hospital (Dallas, TX) – City Scans for Kids: will create an interactive website that increases preparation and decreases stress and anxiety prior to radiology procedures.
- Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, Inc (Baton Rouge, LA) – Reducing Cervical Spine Imaging in Pediatric Trauma Patients less than Age 11: will use a research-supported pediatric cervical spine clearance protocol to reduce radiation exposure in children younger than 11 years who present to the pediatric trauma service.
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) -Brave Kid Capes/Super Hero Support: will help minimize the anxiety that younger patients often sense when undergoing radiology imaging examinations.
Three overall care program winners:
- San Joaquin General Hospital (French Camp, CA) – Agents of Shielding: will train medical and resident staffs regarding radiation protection when using radiation-producing imaging devices.
- Riddle Hospital (Media, PA) - Reducing Radiation Exposure within the Interventional Cardiology Lab: will evaluate current protocols & implement new techniques involving the use of shielding, time of exposure & positioning during procedures
- Blue Mountain Hospital (John Day, OR) - Acquiring MRI Safe Wheelchair and Gurney: will improve patient comfort by eliminating the need for patients who are unable to walk easily to make the painful journey from the shielded area into the scan room.
2012 Grant Recipients:
IDN grant awarded to:
- Akron Children's Hospital (Akron, Ohio) - The Radiology Patient & Family Education Program: will develop educational materials to increase the knowledge levels of patients and their families of the radiation dose they will receive during examinations.
Three pediatric programs:
- Crouse Hospital (Syracuse, N.Y.) – Acquiring Two Movable Lead Walls: will reduce the radiation dose to neighboring NICU babies by purchasing two movable lead walls to place between infants at the time of x-ray.
- Connecticut Children's Medical Center (Hartford, Conn.) – Acquiring Two "Laser Localizer" Accessories: to provide training of radiologic technologists in proper use of this tool for existing 9900 C-arms, which will greatly reduce the amount of time patients are exposed to ionizing radiation.
- Mission Children's Hospital Reuter Outpatient Center (Ashville, N.C.) - Child Life Intervention to Prepare Children for MRI Procedures: establishing the use of therapeutic play to reduce anxiety prior to imaging exams.
Three general program winners:
- The Methodist Hospital (Houston, Texas) - Commit to Sit: focuses on establishing early, effective communication to improve patient safety and satisfaction, using open dialogue and active listening.
- Catalina Island Medical Center (Avalon, Calif.) - ACT Now: to purchase materials to improve patient comfort, implement protocols in ultrasound and CT regarding patient processing and communication and decreased contrast, infection and radiation exposure.
- Salem Township Hospital (Salem, Ill.) - CT Contrast & Weight-Based Dosing: designed to improve patient safety and patient care while providing weight-based dosing, quality assurance metrics, automatic documentation and integration into PACS and RIS.
2011 Grant Recipients:
The IDN grant was awarded to:
- Texas Children’s Hospital (Houston, Texas) – Use of MRI to Replace CT in the Imaging of Appendicitis in Children: will conduct a four month study assessing the effectiveness of using MR as the primary imaging tool for pediatric appendicitis.
The three winning pediatric programs include:
- Fairview Health System (St. Paul, Minn.) – Initiative to Reduce Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging: will implement a web-based educational program for families, patients and providers of pediatric patients suffering from traumatic brain injuries and appendicitis.
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital (Cincinnati, Ohio) – Enhancing the Patient and Family Experience in a Children's Radiology Department Through the Use of Tablet Computers: will provide pediatric patients with iPads as a calming tool instead of using sedation or anesthesia.
- Bronson Methodist Hospital (Kalamazoo, Mich.) – Video Visits: Using Media to Ease the Pediatric Imaging Process: will develop an instructional video on the imaging process and offer information on radiation dose to prepare children and parents before an exam.
The three general program winners include:
- St. Vincent Medical Center (Bridgeport, Conn.) – Exposing Safety: Strategies for Radiation Protection: will create an online educational tool to heighten awareness for its radiation safety program.
- John T. Mather Memorial Hospital (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) – Reducing CT Scan Cumulative Dose: will educate patients and providers about the risks of radiation and install software that records dose information.
- Harnett Health Betsy Johnson Hospital (Dunn, N.C.) – Medical Imaging to Pharmacy: will obtain measurable outcomes of its Medical Imaging to Pharmacy program that encourages greater coordination and communication.
2010 Grant Recipients:
Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Gainesville, GA: The Benefits of a Community CT Imaging Record and Reduction in Radiation Dose
Administrator: Debra Duke, CRA- Director Imaging Services
Children's Hospital & Medical Center, Omaha, NE: Artwork Wraps for Pediatric MRI Machines
Administrator: Nicole Hardin-Radiology Manager
St Joseph's Regional Medical Center, Paterson, NJ: The Alphabet of Imaging: MRI & X-Ray
Administrator: John Hart-Administrative Director, Radiology
Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland, CO: Utilizing Hypnosis to Decrease Pharmaceutical Sedation in MRI
Administrator: Holly Knaub-Supervisor
Sublette County Rural Health Care District: Pinedale & Marbleton Medical Clinics, Pinedale, WY: SMILE
Administrator: Michelle Overgaag-Radiology Department Supervisor
Overlake Hospital Medical Center, Bellevue, WA: TRACE Program-Tools for Radiation Awareness & Community Education
Administrator: Brenda Rinehart, CRA-Director Medical Imaging
2009 Grant Recipients:
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston in Atlanta, GA: Use of Bismuth Shields in All CT Exams
Administrator: Melinda Dobbs - Manager, Radiology
Community Health Network in Indianapolis, IN: Pediatric CT Imaging Simulation Program
Administrator: Scott King - Lead Technologist/Technical Specialist
Memorial Hermann Outpatient Imaging Division in Houston, TX: Improved Process Program
Administrator: Kelly Firestine - CT Manager
Highline Medical Center in Burien, WA : Improvement Project for Scheduling Inpatients for Imaging Exams
Administrator: Krista Christensen - Director, Imaging and Cath Lab Services
Shields Health Care in Quincy, MA: Understanding and Reducing Patient Anxiety
Administrator: Karen Scalia - Regional Business Director
St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, MT : Interactive Utility to Improve the Imaging Process
Administrator: Andrew Gardner - Director, Diagnostic Imaging
2008 Grant Recipients:
Washington Hospital Center, Washington D.C.: Standardized Handoff Communication (use of “green, yellow, red” handoff form as an effective tool to improve safety and outcomes)
Administrator: Gayle Thompson Smillie CRA, Director of Radiology
Jennie Edmundson Hospital, Council Bluffs, IA: Metformin flagging process
Administrator: Jim Lipacom, Director Imaging Services
St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Lewiston, ME: Best Practices in Computerized Tomography
Administrator: Donna M Knightly, Radiology Supervisor, Imaging Services