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July 11, 2017

Toshiba Medical and AHRA Open Applications for Tenth Annual Putting Patients First Program

Grants Support Providers in Pursuit of Improved Patient Care and Safety in Diagnostic Imaging

TUSTIN, Calif., July 11, 2017 – Building on a decade of financial aid for healthcare facilities pursuing greater patient care and safety, AHRA: The Association for Medical Imaging Management and Toshiba Medical, a Canon Group company, announce the tenth year of their Putting Patients First program. Putting Patients First grants enable healthcare facilities to fund programs, training or seminars aimed at improving patient care and safety and customizing treatment in CT, MR, ultrasound, X-ray and vascular imaging. The grants are funded by an unrestricted educational grant from Toshiba Medical.

The AHRA & Toshiba Putting Patients First program provides six grants of up to $7,500 each to hospitals and imaging centers, and an additional grant of up to $20,000 to an Integrated Delivery Network (IDN). Three of the $7,500 grants are awarded for projects that improve pediatric imaging, while the other three are awarded for projects that improve overall patient care and safety in imaging. The grant of up to $20,000 is awarded to an IDN or hospital system for projects that improve overall patient care and safety in imaging across the IDN/hospital system. All winning facilities will then develop and share their best practices.

“In the program’s ten years of operation, Putting Patients First has awarded 57 grants totaling $555,000 to facilities that are innovating and striving for constant improvements to the patient experience in diagnostic imaging,” said Jason Newmark, CRA, FAHRA, president, AHRA. “Diagnostic imaging is powerful and versatile in its abilities to accurately diagnose and treat patients, and we are proud to partner with healthcare facilities that prioritize efforts to make imaging safer, offer continuing physician education and enhance the overall patient experience.”

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

“Patient health is at the heart of everything we do at Toshiba Medical, and we are dedicated to supporting healthcare providers in developing the best solutions to improve the overall patient experience,” said Catherine Wolfe, senior director, Strategic Communications and Market Intelligence, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. ”Year after year, Putting Patients First grant winners have made great strides in improving patient safety and comfort.”

All eligible facilities are encouraged to apply by completing an application at www.ahra.org/PatientsFirstProgram. The deadline to apply is October 30, 2017, and the winners, selected by the AHRA, will be announced at Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting in December.

About AHRA

AHRA is the professional organization representing management at all levels of hospital imaging departments, freestanding imaging centers, and group practices. Founded in 1973, AHRA’s 5000+ members reach across the country and around the world. AHRA offers a complete slate of professional development programs, including a comprehensive selection of educational conferences and seminars, networking opportunities, award winning publications, and the Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA) credential. More details about AHRA are available at www.ahra.org.

About Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.

Toshiba America Medical Systems, a Canon Group company headquartered in Tustin, Calif., markets, sells, distributes and services radiology and cardiovascular systems, including CT, MR, ultrasound, X-ray and interventional X-ray equipment. For more information, visit Toshiba Medical’s website at www.medical.toshiba.com.

About Toshiba Medical

Toshiba Medical offers a full range of diagnostic medical imaging solutions including Ultrasound, CT, X-Ray, and MR, across the globe. As of December 2016, Toshiba Medical became a member of the Canon Group. In line with our continued Made for Life philosophy, patients are at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is to provide medical professionals with solutions that support their efforts in contributing to the health and wellbeing of patients worldwide so that together our industry-leading solutions deliver an enriched quality of life.