Ultrasound Technology Enhances Cardiology Training at MercyOne North Iowa

Ultrasound Technology Enhances Education at MercyOne North Iowa

MercyOne North Iowa is one of the largest teaching hospitals in Iowa, training over 40 residents and fellows and hosting hundreds of medical students and other learners from over 100 different colleges across a variety of medical specialties.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the cardiology fellowship program recently acquired a point-of-care bedside ultrasound. This state-of-the-art technology has proven to be an essential asset for both residents and fellows, enhancing their technical abilities and directly influencing patient care. Dr. Douglas Summerfield, the director of MercyOne North Iowa’s critical care unit, played a key role in developing the curriculum for training learners on this new technology. He also leads the month-long critical care rotation where learners are trained on the new point-of-care ultrasound.

Although the point-of-care ultrasound isn’t typically used for formal diagnoses, it enables clinicians to answer simpler, binary questions that can guide them towards a more definitive diagnosis. One clinician explains, “While routine ultrasounds are still used to perform procedures, point-of-care ultrasound is often utilized at night to offer more information to a provider before daybreak. That’s why it’s important for doctors to be trained in how to effectively use it.”

During a routine patient visit, one MercyOne North Iowa resident was able to utilize this new technology to its fullest potential. He discovered a critical, previously undiagnosed heart condition that required immediate surgical intervention. Thanks to the ultrasound technology funded by donors, our physician training programs, and quick thinking, the patient was promptly scheduled for life-saving treatment.

This is just one example of how our donors are shaping the experiences of residents and the outcomes for patients at MercyOne North Iowa and underscores the profound impact that donors and gifts of every size have on both the quality of education for residents and the level of care for our patients. Our donors not only equip medical professionals with cutting-edge tools but also directly contribute to saving lives.

Make a gift to the MercyOne North Iowa Foundation by visiting MercyOne.org/NorthIowa/Giving.