Essentia Health Leads the Nation in Rollout of Rapid One-Step Strep and Flu Testing

Essentia Health is one of the first health care organizations in the United States to roll out a large-scale rapid result testing system for Influenza A and B, strep and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in most of the communities it serves. Now, when patients go to their local Essentia Health clinic to be tested for these common ailments, they will be given accurate results within a half hour, rather than waiting for a hospital laboratory to confirm an initial diagnosis.

Last year alone, Essentia performed more than 40,000 strep tests on patients across its coverage area of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Idaho. Essentia invested $2 million to purchase 60 Cepheid analyzers to place in hospitals and clinics across its service area. Dr. Carter and DeMenge add the rapid results will also ease crowded clinic waiting rooms as the influenza and strep season begins. 

Essentia will begin using the new analyzers in its outpatient facilities in early November. The molecular test is covered by most insurance companies.