Grant provides new ultrasounds to rural Minnesota hospitals

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) - A big grant is helping improve access to medical treatment in Minnesota’s rural communities.

Helmsley Charitable Trust announced an $18 million grant to bring almost 200 ultrasound devices to Minnesota Hospitals and Health Centers.

That includes:

Two Harbors
Grand Rapids
Virginia
Ely
International Falls
McGregor
Grand Marais
Crosby
Bigfork
Baudette

Part of that funding will also be used to help train sonographers on how to use the life-saving devices.

“It’s about sixty things we can look at with high degrees of efficiency, and all of them require immediate diagnosis and immediate intervention to improve outcome. We didn’t expect that,” said Dr. David Plummer, an Emergency Medicine Physician with Hennepin Healthcare.

More than 120 hospitals and healthcare facilities in Minnesota will receive the life-saving equipment.