Putting Patients First Program

Putting Patients First Grant Program

AHRA’s Putting Patients First Program, through the generous support of Canon Medical, seeks to improve patient care and safety in general medical imaging through an innovative grant-making program. The Putting Patients First Program will provide five grants annually to fund programs, training or seminars aimed at improving patient care and safety which can then be used to create best practices that can be shared and implemented at other hospitals and institutions. 

Application Now Closed

Congratulations to our 2024 Grant Program Recipients:

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital

Eugene Ferrer, Imaging Manager

Diagnostic Imaging (up to $10,000)
Our organization, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, aims to implement a comprehensive staff training and process optimization program to improve the pathway from diagnostic mammogram to biopsy. 

CentraCare Health

Joe Klaers, CRA, Senior Director Imaging Services

Radiation Safety (up to $10,000)
We plan to create a system-wide MRI safety program with the primary objective of improving technologist and assistant knowledge of MRI safety, sharing reference tools for technologists to review implant safety, improving existing MRI department environments safety, among other initiatives that are tailored to individual sites in the system. 

Unity Medical Center

Sara Riskey, Director of Radiology

Radiation Safety (up to $10,000)
ProACT Dose Optimization Software automates image quality monitoring, protocol mapping, and patient dose alerts while providing advanced dosimetry and regulatory-compliant reports to enhance radiation safety. It includes features like CT SSDE calculation, scan repeat analysis, 3D peak skin dose assessment, and benchmarking tools based on cutting-edge organ dose library matrices from the National Cancer Institute.

Houston Medical Center

Lindsay Arrington, Radiology Manager

Diagnostic Imaging (up to $10,000)
Along with an MRSO, HHC would like a future goal of obtaining patient education, further MR staff education and provider education. Our organization has put together an Imaging Ordering Guide to assist providers in ordering the appropriate exams for their patients. Using this Guide as a foundation, our organization would like to format a MR Safety Guide for providers as well.

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital

Enzo Poretta, CRA, Director of Radiology

Pediatric Imaging (up to $10,000)
S.W.A.P - Scanning Without Anesthesia Program. Our goal is to provide patients who are over the age of 5, without any complex medical conditions, the ability to be scanned without Anesthesia through the use of MRI goggles and Child Life Services.

Putting Patients First Grant Program

AHRA’s Putting Patients First Program, through the generous support of Canon Medical, seeks to improve patient care and safety in general medical imaging through an innovative grant-making program. The Putting Patients First Program will provide five grants annually to fund programs, training or seminars aimed at improving patient care and safety which can then be used to create best practices that can be shared and implemented at other hospitals and institutions. Details of the available grants include the following:

Five (5) grants of up to $10,000 are available to be awarded according to the following categories:

• Diagnostic Imaging
• Pediatric Imaging
• Oncology Imaging
• Medical Physics
• Radiation Safety

Beyond receiving funds, the grant recipients will publish an article in an AHRA publication about their innovative program to improve patient care and safety in diagnostic imaging.

The Member Recognition committee will review applications as received for approval.

Benefits

• Grant funds of up to $10,000/ea

Requirements

• Must be a current AHRA member in good standing.
• Must complete application in entirety.
• Must not have been a past recipient.

Available Grants per Year: 5

Application Timeline

● Applications Open: August

● Applications Close: October 31