The HDI 5000 units are manufactured by ATL Ultrasound, a Philips Medical Systems company, and provide high-tech replacements for older ultrasound equipment formerly used the HSA. The new machines are the same used by the Cleveland Clinic, Stanford Medical Center and UC Davis Medical Center.

According to Bev Finley, Managing Director for the HSA, "ultrasound is a tremendous technology for detecting disease early and getting people on the road to good health. Adding these machines to our health system will help to save lives."

Ultrasound technology is used for internal imaging of the body including obstetrics and gynecology, looking at internal organs like the kidneys and liver, and for imaging blood flow through veins and arteries. The HDI 5000 system gives clinicians unprecedented capabilities by providing features such as MicroFine Grayscale Imaging, digital Broadband Flow Imaging, Tissue Harmonic Imaging, Pulse Inversion Harmonics technology and adaptive system intelligence.

An onboard 18.1gigabyte storage system allows images to be stored and pulled up at a later time for medical review. The new machines also have 512 channels vs. the standard 128 channels, meaning five times more computer processing power.

The Stanislaus County Health Services Agency (HSA) is an outpatient medical system with 9 medical offices located throughout Stanislaus County. The HSA operates the Public Health Department, an Urgent Care Center and multiple programs serving over 400,000 patients and clients each year in Stanislaus County. The HSA also is in local partnerships for the MOMobile project and the Stanislaus Family Practice Residency Program. The HSA has extensive community health information available at its web site www.schsa.org