Putting Patients First Impacts Patient Care

35.6_in the industry_Hardin_head shot — Nicole Hardin, MS, RT(R)(M)(CIIIP)

By AHRA Staff

No doubt you’ve heard of the popular AHRA & Toshiba Putting Patients First program and read about some of the funded projects (click here). But have you ever wondered how easy or difficult it is to apply? Grant recipient, Nicole Hardin, MS, RT(R)(M)(CIIIP), sheds some light on the process.

Nicole is the radiology manager at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, where they used their funds to transform the appearance of cutting edge imaging equipment into something less frightening and more welcoming to its pediatric patients. They worked with a local designer to create custom decals featuring beautiful pictures of fish and water animals. These were installed on the CT and MRI scanners, as well as throughout the waiting room. The scenes are eye-catching and, more importantly, they’ve helped create a more soothing environment of care.

35.6_in the industry_Hardin_figure 2

You can read more about Nicole’s project in the Nov/Dec 2013 issue of Radiology Management.

1. How did you hear about the Putting Patients First grant, and what made you decide to apply?

I saw the announcements in AHRA’s e-mails and publications. I did have the project in mind and seeing the grant opportunity talked about in industry related publications helped me decide to go for it. We had not been actively looking for a grant, so seeing past grant recipient stories also helped us decide to apply.

2. Tell us about the application process. How much time did it take you to pull together the materials for your application?

The application process was easy and only took less than one hour to complete. The hardest part of this process was getting the right people to sign the forms. 🙂

3. How did the grant help you in implementing your project?

This grant allowed us to complete our project. Without it we would not have been able to do the project at all.

4. What were the top overall improvements in your facility as a result of your project?

The patient experience and satisfaction at our facility has been the best outcome for us. We used our grant to decorate our MRI and CT rooms with a child friendly theme. This also allowed us to complete patient exams without anesthesia by distracting the kids with wall art.

5. What would you say to someone who is considering applying for the Putting Patients First grant?

I would let them know that the application process is easy and the grant allows you to do a project that will impact patient care.