$50,000 will be used to purchase portable ultrasound equipment to train the next generation of doctors

PHOENIX (July 14, 2023) —  The Arizona Lottery, in partnership with Dignity Health Foundation - East Valley, is proud to announce a $50,000 partnership to support the purchase of Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) devices. These state-of-the-art imaging and diagnostic tools will be used to help train Dignity Health East Valley medical residents and expand high quality of care  for patients in the East Valley, and rural and tribal communities. 

Dignity Health Foundation - East Valley will provide 11 portable ultrasound devices and training to the Dignity Health East Valley Graduate Medical Education (GME) program with the Arizona Lottery’s grant. The devices have shown to improve clinical outcomes, reduce complications and shorten treatment times for patients.

"We are proud to partner with Dignity Health Foundation - East Valley, through funding the purchase of these devices,” said Alec Esteban Thomson, Executive Director of the Arizona Lottery. “This investment will not only help train future healthcare providers, but it will also ensure that Arizonans receive high-quality healthcare in the years to come.” 

This partnership eases the burden on state-funded programs, like the University Bond Fund and Healthy Arizona, by directly providing vital skills and training to Arizona medical students. 

Arizona, like many states, is experiencing a critical shortage of quality physicians. Dignity Health East Valley’s GME program will work to help close the gap, and have the resources to meet the needs of the growing East Valley community.

“The Dignity Health East Valley Family Medicine Residency program is designed to prepare the next generation of family physicians to provide the highest level of primary care services to families in Arizona,” said Dr. Richard P. Kratche, program director of Dignity Health East Valley’s Family Medicine Residency program. “Through the support of the Arizona Lottery and our foundation, we are able to provide our Family Medicine residents access to advanced technology which will help bolster the health and wellbeing of our community.”

The Arizona Lottery has a longstanding commitment to support programs that benefit the public, including higher education, environmental conservation, economic development, and health and human services. By responsibly maximizing revenue, the Lottery ensures that its contributions have a positive and lasting impact on the community. In the 2022 fiscal year, the Arizona Lottery transferred close to $67 million to several vital state programs and services that benefit higher education and health and human services in Arizona, programs which would otherwise rely on tax dollars for their funding. These transfers were part of a historic transfer that totaled $270 million.

For more information on the Arizona Lottery's initiatives for the public benefit, please visit www.arizonalottery.com.

To learn more about Dignity Health Foundation - East Valley and their commitment to healthcare and medical education, please visit www.supportdignityhealtheastvalley.org/.