SHELTON, WA – Mason Health patients and health care providers will now have a safer and more convenient medical imaging experience for a wide range of procedures, thanks to the purchase of a new state-of-the-art multifunctional universal X-Ray imaging system. Mason Health’s new Shimadzu SONIALVISION G4 LX, made possible by a donation from a grateful patient, takes live real-time X-rays for procedures like fluoroscopy, needle placements, speech-therapy swallow studies, gastrointestinal procedures and more. The imaging system reduces radiation by about 50 percent, compared to previous models, and features a fully articulating bed that can accommodate patients and providers of all heights and abilities.

“The biggest benefits are the dose reduction, the safety, and the diversity of the studies and patient types we can now see,” said Mason Health’s Diagnostic Imaging Manager Shane Faford. “Any bariatric patient we had, we used to have to send them somewhere else. The technology has now changed, and I feel relieved. We not only have state-of-the-art technology, we can use it for multiple purposes, for all the other stuff we need. We’re busier now than we have ever been.”

The imaging system’s bed can lower down to 19 inches from the floor and raise as high as 43 inches, making it easier for patients with limited physical abilities to get in and out of the bed. The bed can also be erected 90 degrees and the arm can extend out 6 feet, making room for patients who need to be seated for a study or who are brought in via wheelchair. The system is also safer for providers — a protective shield can be raised and lowered for providers who are in the room, and by being able to raise and lower the bed, providers do not have to bend over as much when placing instruments, such as needles, inside of patients. Additionally, the system uses super fine resolution and the most advanced digital imaging processing technology, ensuring the highest quality images.

As a bonus with the purchase, Shimadzu agreed to fully digitize one of Mason General Hospital’s other X-Ray rooms, saving the District about $80,000. With this upgrade and the installation of the SONIALVISION G4 LX machine in March, patient wait times for X-rays have been reduced and the department’s X-ray capabilities have been greatly expanded.

“Our former fluoroscopy unit would sit there all day when it was not being used,” Faford said. “We can use this one for a variety of other procedures. These machines and upgrades are very expensive and hard to justify since this is a low patient volume area. This has been 15 years in the making, and I am excited we can make such a difference for our patients.”

Learn more about the G4 LX, Shimadzu’s premium multi-functional universal R/F system: bit.ly/3MKHDeF.

Mason Health, Public Hospital District No. 1 of Mason County, is ISO 9001 Quality Management System certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is a licensed and accredited acute care hospital with a level four emergency trauma designation. Mason General Hospital and Mason Clinic are ENERGY STAR® certified and Mason Health is the recipient of the Practice Greenhealth Partner for Change Environmental Excellence Award. There are more than 100 physicians on staff in 19 specialties. For more information or to find a health care provider, visit www.masongeneral.com.

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