Mint Medical has the deep expertise to serve the end-to-end vascular needs of large hospital systems. From scheduling and coordination to efficient, specialized studies, we can provide everything needed to launch a large-scale screening program.
Screening is essential for serious cardiovascular conditions such as abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), which often lacks significant symptoms prior to aortic rupture. Mint Medical partnered with a large Northern California health system to screen over 30,000 at-risk members for abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Hospitals without a dedicated vascular ultrasound lab and technologist staff would struggle to meet the needs of a screening program this large. Typically, hospitals that rely on general ultrasound departments to conduct vascular ultrasound exams have longer turnaround times and less specialized staff to conduct those exams.
The Challenge
Our partner needed to conduct over 30,000 vascular screening exams without disrupting existing ultrasound and imaging operations. They needed a parter that could mobilize rapidly while maintaining consistent quality across geographically dispersed facilities. The health system also needed to implement a screening program that could integrate with the existing EHR, PACS, and IT systems while providing a seamless experience for patients. Mint Medical rose to the challenge with a custom solution.
The Solution
Mint Medical designed, staffed, and executed a high-volume AAA screening program for our partner to accommodate specific needs. We deployed dedicated Registered Vascular Technologists (RVTs) with portable vascular ultrasound equipment to each facility and executed a standardized 15-minute screening protocol. The Mint Medical team managed all scheduling, staffing, equipment setup, IT integration, and quality assurance.
The Outcomes
This AAA screening program was a massive undertaking and a huge success. Over 30,000 patients were screened with a 7.6% positive AAA/IAAA detection rate.
By the Numbers:
- 31,215 patients completed screening (57% outreach response rate)
- 2,379 positive AAA/IAA cases identified (7.6% detection rate)
- 191 patients referred to vascular surgery based on findings
- 85% appointment fill rate across all sites (target: 80%)
- 5% fail-to-keep rate (below industry norms)
- 12.4 days average book-to-seen interval
Mint Medical was able to achieve a 57% outreach response rate and exceeded the target appointment fill rate at 85%. The health system identified at-risk patients for contact and Mint Medical handled scheduling and logistics in addition to providing highly trained Registered Vascular Technologists (RVTs) to conduct the exams.
“[Mint Medical’s] reliability has been unparalleled, and everyone associated with the screening has been extremely satisfied with your service. I can personally vouch for the quality of the techs and studies.” — Medical Director, AAA Screening Project, Northern California Health System
Mint Medical has the expertise and infrastructure to mobilize highly trained technologists for large scale screening programs such as these. This same expertise can be applied to multi-site clinical trials that require vascular imaging. Mint Medical is uniquely positioned as a leader in vascular ultrasound outsourcing to deploy GCP-trained technologists with protocol-compliant acquisition across trial sites.
With more than two decades of hospital vascular ultrasound partnerships, Mint Medical is the premiere leader for end-to-end vascular services in California. We offer best-in-class patient care and quality, repeatable results for our partners. Additional partner guarantees include:
- Rapid turnaround time for all patient exams, resulting in faster diagnostics and reduced costs
- IAC accreditation at vascular labs to guarantee exam quality, time after time
- Consistent availability at all labs, with minimum disruptions and improved patient outcomes
Contact us to learn more about how Mint Medical can provide a custom vascular ultrasound program for your hospital or clinic.
Guest Contributor: Jordan Galerkin
