Gardner—The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts has made a $150,000 investment in Heywood Hospital to support the purchase of diagnostic ultrasound equipment.
Diagnostic ultrasound enables physicians to quickly and accurately evaluate conditions affecting the heart, abdomen, blood vessels and more. By modernizing Heywood Hospital’s imaging technology, this investment will help reduce wait times, improve diagnostic accuracy and expand the range of imaging services available to patients in Gardner and surrounding communities, an announcement for the grant reads. The new equipment is expected to be operational later this year.
“This grant is transformative for our patients and our community,” said Heywood Healthcare President and CEO Rozanna Penney in a statement. “With modern ultrasound technology, we can deliver faster, more accurate diagnoses right here in Gardner, so patients spend less time waiting and more time healing.”
This grant is part of the Community Foundation’s broader strategy to invest in the health, vitality, and resilience of north central Massachusetts. By directing philanthropic resources toward infrastructure such as diagnostic imaging technology, the foundation works to ensure that local institutions have the capacity to deliver excellent care today and for generations to come.
The new ultrasound equipment funded by this investment will benefit patients who might otherwise face significant barriers to accessing imaging services at larger, more distant facilities, the announcement reads. In a region where transportation and economic challenges can limit access to healthcare, having state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities available locally makes a meaningful difference in patient outcomes.
Heywood Healthcare is an independent, community-owned healthcare system serving north central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. It comprises Heywood Hospital, a 134 -bed acute care community-owned non-profit hospital in Gardner; Athol Hospital, a 25-bed not for-profit, Critical Access Hospital in Athol; and Heywood Medical Group, with primary care physicians and specialists located throughout the region. The organization also includes eight satellite facilities and the Heywood Healthcare Charitable Foundation.
The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts is a non-profit foundation that manages charitable funds established by individuals, families, businesses, and other non-profit organizations. For more information, visit www.cfncm.org.