The Helmsley Charitable Trust

What if you had to drive hours for an ultrasound scan? In the United States, there is a disparity between access to ultrasound in rural and urban areas. Ultrasound studies are a critical part of diagnostic care. Increasing access to ultrasound machines in rural communities and training providers in point-of-care ultrasound use benefits patient care and improves health outcomes. In Nevada, Minnesota, and Wyoming, we're ensuring access to ultrasound. Through $44.5 million in grants, we've funded 691 different ultrasound systems and training initiatives. "Ultrasound saves time and saves lives," Helmsley Trustee Walter Panzirer said. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gJAevsFB #MedicalUltrasoundAwarenessMonth

What policy solutions can improve coverage, access, and affordability for people living with insulin-requiring diabetes? On October 30, Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms and experts will come together for a virtual discussion to address these challenges and share solutions. Register today to hear from Deputy Commissioner of Affordability Programs Kyla Hoskins of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies and volunteer Hugh O'Hara of Breakthrough T1D in Illinois. RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3YpSenL #Type1Diabetes #T1D #Diabetes

"What does healing mean for you?" This was the question New York City Program Officer Tracy Perrizo posed when moderating a panel discussion on “Overcoming the Double Trauma of Abuse and Homelessness” at New Destiny Housing Corporation's Symposium on Housing Solutions for Survivors of Domestic Violence. "Healing is community," Michelle Balandra, a Program Manager for the Child and Adolescent Programs at Violence Intervention Program, responded. "Healing is entering into community activities, like joining a sports team, or other activities.” Healing is stepping away from old relationships to build new ones. Many survivors of domestic violence are isolated from their communities during the abuse. New Destiny's aftercare program for EHV voucher holders, supported by Helmsley, connects survivors with mental health services, tenancy supports, and other resources such as doctors, schools or childcare in their new neighborhoods. This work goes beyond navigating survivors to homes; this work aims to build communities to help survivors heal. Learn more about New Destiny Housing this #DomesticViolenceAwarenessMonth (#DVAM): https://lnkd.in/e-nAgf7

So glad to come together with our members, partners and great thinkers this week to discuss Continuous Glucose Monitoring and how to improve diabetes care in the U.S. With gratitude to HealthPartners Institute International Diabetes Center for hosting this summit and to The Helmsley Charitable Trust for generously funding these vital conversations.

LGBTQ+ rural youth are in a mental health crisis. 55% of LGBTQ+ youth in Montana reported that they had considered suicide in 2022, and in South Dakota, 19% attempted suicide, according to a survey by The Trevor Project. These numbers are unacceptable. "These are human lives. Many young people are dying," Helmsley Trustee Walter Panzirer told Inside Philanthropy. "We’re in a mental health crisis, and we know that The Trevor Project’s approach works.” Our collaboration with The Trevor Project will create an awareness and support campaign to reduce stigma and direct rural LGBTQ+ youth to crisis services. “People are likely to know about our services if they live in New York, or California, or other coastal places where LGBTQ+ identities and resources are a bit more plentiful,” said Kevin Wong, The Trevor Project’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. “We want to make sure we are connecting rural LGBTQ+ young people and youth-interacting organizations with The Trevor Project and its services, too.” Read the full Inside Philanthropy feature (subscription required) here: https://lnkd.in/dSWkCZzy

Our grantmaking in rural America is driven by our desire to increase access to better care, closer to home. For over fifteen years, we've granted over $700 million to organizations and initiatives in Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. This summer, our Rural Healthcare Program began making grants in a ninth state, Hawaii, and two U.S. Pacific Territories—American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. With these expansions, we want to redefine rural. Rural America is not just the tightly knit communities of South Dakota who live 200 miles away from state-of-the-art cancer care—it's also the American Samoans who live 2,000 miles away from an MRI machine. Many of the innovative ideas we've funded over the years in the upper Midwest can serve as models for care in urban centers and island nations. By redefining rural, we're applying our decade of experience to new communities of people who need access to better care, closer to home. More information about our Rural Healthcare Program: https://bit.ly/4aAfJxN

DiabetesWISER, a new online community provided by DiabetesWise, is addressing questions from people with diabetes around physical activity and diabetes technology. Join the video forum on October 22nd 12PM EST at https://lnkd.in/e9qZTBEN, where expert Dessi P. Zaharieva, PhD, CEP, CDCES will answer submitted questions. Sign up and submit questions here: https://lnkd.in/gZHNxnqY

Every person living with a noncommunicable disease (NCD) – including type 1 diabetes – deserves quality care and medicines whenever they need them. But in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), these can be impossible to find. As a result, over 85% of premature deaths due NCDs occur in LMICs. During the Global Week for Action on NCDs, the NCD Alliance is calling on leaders to prioritize and invest in NCD policies, break down siloes, and fulfill commitments to ensuring care and support for people living with NCDs everywhere – not just in high-income countries. As a champion of health equity, Helmsley is proud to stand firmly behind this mission. We are committed to creating a world where everyone living with an NCD can lead a full, vibrant life. Join the movement by tuning in to the virtual watch party on Saturday, 19 October at 14:30 CEST, where NCD Alliance will showcase new micro-documentaries featuring local leaders who are improving NCD care in their communities: https://lnkd.in/gvFZASEm. #ActOnNCDs #LeadOnNCDs #NCDs

Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition characterized by inflammation of the gut. Existing pharmacological treatment options can reduce inflammation but work only in select patients who can then lose responsiveness to drugs over time. The Bionics Institute designed a novel electrical nerve stimulator that can reduce the body’s inflammatory response and keep people with Crohn’s disease in remission. The Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded the Bionics Institute a grant to support development of the second generation of this device that can refine the response to inflammation, creating a more personalized therapy. Learn more about this device: https://lnkd.in/gt3Ya7v5 #CrohnsDisease #InflammatoryBowelDisease #IBD #MedTech #Bionics

Local care is equitable care. Today, Intermountain Health and Holy Rosary Hospital officially opened their 12,000-square-foot, comprehensive cancer care center. It will serve rural eastern Montana, offering the only radiation, medical and surgical oncology services within a 125-mile radius. Many rural Americans, especially cancer patients, have to travel significant distances for treatment. The farther the distance, the more likely people are to delay or forego care. We are on a mission to ensure that comprehensive cancer care is within a 90-mile radius for rural Americans. No one deserves to be uprooted from their support systems while going through treatment. Read more about this opening: https://bit.ly/3A1iGdU