Helmsley Charitable Trust grants $803,545 to help McKenzie Health purchase state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment

February 17, 2025

Released by:  McKenzie Health

Contact:
Lynn Welker-Fevold, MMHC, ACHE
lwelker@mchsnd.org

Helmsley Charitable Trust grants $803,545 to help McKenzie Health purchase state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment

Watford City, ND—The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has granted $803,545 to McKenzie Health to purchase nine pieces of ultrasound equipment, eight for Watford City to include a transesophageal echo, general machine, cardiac upgrade, and point of care equipment for the Emergency, Walk-In Clinic, Anesthesia, Obstetrics, and Vascular Departments and one for Williston which is a general and cardiac machine, as part of a $27.4 million ultrasound initiative in North Dakota.

The initiative includes more than $21.8 million to help 69 North Dakota hospitals and health centers purchase ultrasound imaging devices and nearly $5.7 million to boost sonography and point of care ultrasound (POCUS) training opportunities across the state.

“McKenzie Health is working to enhance patient care in our frontier region by offering comprehensive ultrasound services. Our imaging team strives to provide the most accurate diagnoses possible. However, having access to new general ultrasound machines and cardiovascular ultrasound systems with increased capabilities and upgraded software allows us to provide excellent, local care,” said Pete Edis, CEO of McKenzie Health.

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. “Our providers are exceptional and are truly presented with unique situations regularly. Having access to state-of-the-art equipment has such a positive impact on quality and delivery of care. We are extremely grateful to The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust for their commitment to and investment in rural healthcare advancement. Their grant is transformative and will impact thousands of patients,” stated Lynn Welker-Fevold, President of the Benefit Fund of McKenzie Health.

Walter Panzirer, a Trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, said the grants will help improve access to top-notch medical treatment for North Dakotans, whether they live in Fargo, Bismarck, or Grand Forks, or a smaller rural community such as Bottineau, Rugby, or Hettinger.

“These grants will help ensure that hospitals and health centers across North Dakota have the latest in state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment and training,” Panzirer said. “Facilities need to stay current with rapidly advancing technology so they can continue to provide the very best healthcare close to home.”

The majority (134) of the devices purchased through the grants 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 will also provide 57 general ultrasound systems and 24 cardiovascular ultrasound systems, which aid in imaging of the heart.

The initiative also includes nearly $1.9 million to North Dakota State University and nearly $3.8 million to High Quality Medical Education (HQMEDED) to expand sonographer expertise and provide comprehensive POCUS training to doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. Additionally, more than $64,000 will go to individual facilities to boost sonographer training.

The Helmsley Charitable Trust has committed a total of $72 million to fund ultrasound equipment and training initiatives for rural communities and underserved populations in Nevada, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wyoming.

(Additional information including photos and b-roll video can be downloaded from https://helmsleytrust.box.com/s/prhpsbah1ldnd5cun4lcyehhw5474zo9)

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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 grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $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 $750 million to organizations and initiatives in the states of Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and two U.S. Pacific territories, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For more information, visit www.helmsleytrust.org.

About McKenzie Health

McKenzie Health is committed to quality services, continuity of care, assurance of qualified staff, and family involvement for individual patients and clients. Headquartered in Watford City, ND, the organization consists of a 24-bed Critical Access Hospital, Rural Health Clinic, Specialty Clinics, Walk-In Clinic, Urgent Care, Good Shepherd Home (long-term care), Horizon Assisted Living, and Connie Wold Wellness Center. For more information, visit mckenziehealth.org.

MEDIA CONTACT
Lynn Welker-Fevold, MMHC, ACHE
307-399-4145
lwelker@mchsnd.org