SHELTON, WA – At Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics, we want to be proactive about your health. For women, this includes understanding your risk factors and actively lowering your risk for breast cancer. Having regular mammogram screenings if you’re over 45 or have a risk factor for breast cancer, such as family history, is vital to fighting the disease.

Mason General Hospital is offering 3D mammograms to women over 40 at the upcoming free Women’s Health Event, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26, at Mason General Hospital. Those who are uninsured or underinsured will be able to obtain a free mammogram thanks to the support of the event sponsors, Washington Breast, Cervical and Colon Health Program and the Karen Hilburn Cancer Fund. The Karen Hilburn Cancer Fund will provide financial support for up to 50 mammograms for women who qualify. The Women’s Health Event will also feature other complimentary health services, such as diabetes and blood pressure screenings, nutritional health services and mini-massages.

“Our goal is to let anybody get their screening mammogram, regardless of financial situations,” said Kelly Mattheis, MGH&FC patient navigator. “We value our patients and also offer other avenues of support, such as our Cancer Wellness Group every second Wednesday. We also value and support other local community resources as well.”

Confirmed vendors at the Women’s Health Event include Northwest Resources, Molina Healthcare, South Puget Sound Intertribal Planning Agency and Mason Transit Authority. Mason Transit will be running their new route, the Zipper, from the Transit-Community Center in downtown Shelton to East Wallace Kneeland Boulevard near the hospital during the event.

Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics also offers other services for women to support their health journey. A compassionate team of health care providers at MGH Mt. View Women’s Health Clinic can guide women through other preventive measures to minimize their risk of breast cancer. Schedule an appointment by calling (360) 426-0955.

The new 3D mammography unit is now in service at the Hospital, as well. The unit has a proven rate of up to 40 percent less false positives and a 41 percent increase in the detection of invasive breast cancers. Patients have raved about the experience.

“I was impressed,” said patient Terri Reiter. “We just moved here from Seattle, and I hadn’t done a mammogram in six years. It’s not painful and the ambiance is so nice. It’s important for people to go get their mammograms. My sister had breast cancer and my niece died of breast cancer. I might go again next year, that’s how nice it was. It doesn’t hurt like it used to and it takes 20 minutes, tops.”

For more information about our cancer support services, call Kelly Mattheis, patient navigator, at (360) 432-7706 or email patientnavigator@masongeneral.com. To learn more about the Women’s Health Event, visit https://www.masongeneral.com/community/events/womens-health-event or find the event on Facebook.

MGH&FC is certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is a licensed and accredited acute care hospital with a level four emergency trauma designation. There are more than 100 physicians on staff in 19 specialties. MGH&FC now offers 3D Mammography Services and Virtual Care 24/7.  For more information on 3D mammograms, Virtual Care or to find a health care provider, visit www.MasonGeneral.com.

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