TBH Medical is a direct primary care (DPC) provider in Colorado Springs, CO. Aja Hardesty, MSN, FNP-BC, AGACNP-BC, is a double board-certified Nurse Practitioner in Colorado Springs with 15+ years of emergency room, urgent care, and primary care experience. With direct primary care, you skip the hassles of insurance and pay a low-cost monthly membership fee to have faster and more personalized access to essential primary care services – Same-Day or Next-Day Appointments – No Copays. No Deductibles. No Surprise Bills – Clear Upfront Pricing and Great Personalized Care!
Direct Primary Care is a great option if you don’t currently have medical coverage or wish to pair it with a high-deductible plan or a military plan. And you’ll definitely enjoy the much shorter wait times to be seen!
We want your strep A test to be as simple and quick as possible for you. This page covers the test itself; for how we treat a sore throat once it is diagnosed, see our sore throat and strep treatment page.
A Strep A test is a rapid test used to identify Group A Streptococci bacteria in the throat.
It is important to know if you have Strep A because it can lead to serious health consequences, such as rheumatic fever and kidney disease, if left untreated.
The test is a simple swab taken from the back of the throat and tonsils. The swab is then sent to a lab to see if bacteria grow on a culture dish over time. Results take about 24 to 48 hours to confirm.
You should see our nurse practitioner to test you for Strep A if you have:
Resource: https://www.cdc.gov/group-a-strep/testing/index.html
TBH Medical offers rapid Strep A testing for established patients in our Colorado Springs, CO office. We can get results in 5 to 20 minutes. However, these tests can be slightly less accurate, and we’ll likely want to send a swab to the lab for testing if the results are negative, but you still exhibit symptoms of Strep A. If the result is positive, we can begin antibiotic treatment right away.
Appointments are required (same-day or next-day) to best try to avoid wait times, though we will always make every effort to treat any patients presenting with urgent needs right away.
Our Strep A tests are priced at a very low, affordable, wholesale cost that is a small fraction of the cost of a Strep A test at an urgent care center.
You are covered for your visit (and exam) as part of our monthly membership price. The test itself is a small, out-of-pocket, at-cost expense.
TBH Medical does not take any insurance and charges patients directly, with no insurance deductibles, copays, or surprise charges at the clinic.
Our nurse practitioner will ask you to open your mouth wide and then will rub a swab over the back of your throat and tonsils with a cotton swab.
It does not hurt, though there may be a brief gag response or brief discomfort while the swab is in the throat. Discomfort ends immediately when the swab is removed.
The process takes less than a minute during your appointment.
We test for Strep A in our on-site lab, and you get the initial rapid results in about 5 to 10 minutes. However, to confidently confirm strep A, it can take 24 to 48 hours for results to come back from the lab.
Results are provided at your visit by our nurse practitioner.
A positive result means you have a strep infection. We formulate a treatment plan to help you.
We will send a prescription for the antibiotic to your local pharmacy so you can start treatment right away.
The rapid Strep A tests are fairly accurate, and most cases can be identified within minutes.
False positives rarely occur, but false negatives can happen. If the test is negative but your symptoms fit strep, we may send a throat sample to a laboratory to make the final diagnosis.
We can test for flu or COVID at the same appointment, in case symptoms are consistent.
We have options for text, phone calls, and video appointments in case you need follow-up or have questions about the antibiotic.
TBH Medical provides care by a dedicated nurse practitioner who can spend as much time as necessary with you and is aware of your full health history. Our focus is always on your health and recovery.
Reduce the risk of Strep A infection by washing your hands frequently with soap and water. Avoid sharing glasses and eating utensils with people with upper respiratory conditions.
TBH Medical provides education and resources for its direct primary care patients on immune health and common infectious illnesses.