The American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) Foundation and Toshiba America Medical Systems have announced winners of the inaugural Safety First grant program.
The winners are Memorial Hospital of Converse County in Douglas, WY, and Cook County North Shore Hospital and Care Center in Grand Marais, MN. The program awards two ASRT members up to $7,000 each for the implementation of a radiologic technology safety program or development of an idea that creates a safer work environment, ASRT said.
Memorial Hospital will use grant funds to purchase a RaySafe i2 system to provide real-time monitoring of ionized radiation and to measure exposure levels of radiation for staff members in the operating room. Cook County North Shore Hospital will use the award to help purchase an EZ Matt (EZ Way) and an x-ray imaging chair, which will help technologists reduce the amount of time needed to move and position patients.
![Axial images from unenhanced calcium score cardiac CT (left) and curved planar reformation images from CT angiography (right) show that higher long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with greater coronary artery calcium and more obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Top row: Images in a 68-year-old male patient with higher 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (7.9 μg/m3 for particulate matter measuring ≤2.5 μm in diameter [PM2.5] and 17.4 parts per billion [ppb] for NO2) with extensive CAD (coronary artery calcium score [CACS] >1,000 and obstructive CAD [≥70% diameter stenosis]). Bottom row: Images in a 57-year-old female patient with lower 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (6.3 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 4.6 ppb for NO2) with no CAD (CACS = 0 and no obstructive stenosis).](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/06/hanneman.r6SMLzkezo.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
