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Tips for Success from a Superior Center of Excellence

Date: 06/27/17

Since 1987, South Texas Center for Pediatric Care (STCPC) has been providing pediatric primary care services in the San Antonio area with a focus on immunizations, preventive services, mental health and chronic disease management. With six office locations in the San Antonio area, the centers are staffed by Board-Certified Physicians and Pediatric Nurse Practitioners specializing in treating children of all ages.

In 2017, STCPC was named a Superior Center of Excellence for Foster Care. The first-ever designation was presented to STCPC for its innovative program designed to support children in foster care and their families. STCPC was chosen because of their outcome-driven interdisciplinary treatment team that ensures patients and their families have access to primary medical care services and behavioral health evaluations, as well as social and legal support services.

To qualify, South Texas Center for Pediatric Care had to meet more than 60 criteria, including quality improvement initiatives, program processes and staff requirements. South Texas Center for Pediatric Care has aligned with Stonebridge Alliance to provide psychological evaluations and behavior health services to children and youth in foster care.

“Our group focuses on best practices in order to achieve operational leadership and profitable growth,” said Dr. Diana M. Burns-Banks of STCPC. “Our goal is to be an asset to our patients, while also being a place where our staff can grow and prosper.”

As a leader in quality standards for primary care providers in San Antonio, STCPC shares their top three tips for sustaining a successful practice.

Dedicate Staff to Quality Improvement Initiatives
STCPC has staff that works to improve members’ health status through a variety of meaningful quality improvement activities, such as:

  • Monitoring immunization rates.
  • Scheduling follow-up visits for patients who have recently visited the ER.
  • Reaching out to patients to improve well-child rates.
  • Meeting monthly to review office processes, policies and clinical protocols to find opportunities for improvement.

Providers can also use these tips to improve their Quality Improvement standards.

Learn more about Superior Quality Initiatives, by visiting Superior’s Quality Improvement Program webpage.

Utilize Technology
STCPC uses Electronic Medical Records (EMR) to allow for better documentation of patient care. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 86.9% of office-based physicians use EMR systems. Providers can improve care coordination, eliminate waste and reduce errors by gaining a better understanding of a person’s medical history and health interactions by utilizing EMR or Health Passport (for STAR Health members).

See below for Health Passport and EMR functionalities:

EMR:

  • Displays a patient’s complete medical record.
  • Provides comprehensive information from one health-care provider or system.
  • Maintained and updated by providers who use EMR.

Health Passport:

  • Gathers patient medical records that Superior is made aware of (via claims and or state-supplied data for STAR Health).
  • Displays select information from many providers and facilities.
  • Maintained and updated by Superior HealthPlan.

For more information on Health Passport and EMR, please visit the following webpages:

Develop New Programs
STCPC remains committed to its local community. STCPC’s Literacy and Book Ownership Program pairs reading with timely Texas Health Steps checkups for children 2 weeks to 4 years of age. At the end of the exam, each child is presented a book by their provider. This program was designed to encourage timely completion of Texas Health Steps checkups, promote literacy and improve HEDIS scores. They also maintain an in-house internship/mentoring program for high school and college students interested in pursuing a career in medicine.

Providers and community organizations focused on promoting the health and well-being of their communities can apply for a Superior grant of up to $5,000.

To apply for a Superior grant, please visit Superior’s Provider and Community Agency Grant Programs webpage.