Texas Children's Pediatrics has come a long way since Ralph Feigin, MD, came up with the idea to create the first practice in August 1995. He partnered with four pediatricians—the Rosenthal brothers—to make Ashford Pediatrics the first Texas Children’s Pediatrics location. Texas Children’s Pediatrics is now the largest pediatric primary care group in the country, spanning more than 65 locations across Houston, Austin and College Station, Texas.
“Because of all the people and years of dedication to that mission of providing the highest quality pediatric care to our communities, Texas Children’s Pediatrics has been able to thrive for 30 years and counting,” said Sapna Singh, MD, a pediatrician and the health system’s chief medical officer.
Texas Children's Pediatrics is part of the AMA Health System Member Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
The health system has taken numerous actions to expand its footprint across the state. For example, through telehealth innovations, Texas Children’s Pediatrics provides care to children in limited access areas of Texas.
Meanwhile, the opening of its 13 urgent care locations aids families who need after-hours care. And in 2018, the health system began its expansion into Austin and College Station, improving access for even more children in Texas. The aim is to meet families where they are, giving peace of mind to parents and “reminding them that quality care is available no matter when their child falls ill or needs medical attention,” said Dr. Singh.
To further enhance the patient experience, Texas Children’s Pediatrics has invested in augmented intelligence (AI)—otherwise known as artificial intelligence—and other tools that allow physicians and clinical teams to spend more time with patients and less time taking notes.
Using technology to drive care back to the bedside is a huge win for patients and the clinical teams, said Dr. Singh. “Our initial rollout of using AI has received great reviews from our doctors and families, and we plan to continue to roll it out on a larger scale.”
Colorful interiors and treats for the young patients also offer a human touch across clinics.
“Being sick is not fun, especially for a child, but we do our best to bring a spirit of positivity to every step of our interactions,” she explained.
In an interview with the AMA, Dr. Singh discussed Texas Children’s Pediatrics’ investments in behavioral health, concierge care and future projects, and the role of partnerships and community engagement in fostering its mission.
AMA: What does this milestone mean to the organization and how has the mission evolved over time?
Dr. Singh: This milestone is a tribute to the care and dedication every person has given to the children who have been cared for by Texas Children’s Pediatrics over the past 30 years. We could never have made it this far without the support of our families and communities.
The need is so great, and Texas Children’s Pediatrics has risen to the challenge to continue its mission of providing the highest quality pediatric care to all children who are in our care. Our mission has evolved to continue to expand our services to care for the whole child, and that includes treating a child for more than just medical needs—but also providing early detection for various conditions, promoting mental and emotional well-being, and educating families.
AMA: How has pediatric care changed since Texas Children’s Pediatrics first began, and how has the organization adapted to meet those changes?
Dr. Singh: Fundamentally, pediatrics is still about caring for a child’s health and well-being through every stage of their growth and development to adulthood. But over the years, we have certainly seen more strain on our children’s mental health and emotional well-being. External factors that influence children and families are everywhere, and we must work even harder to ensure we are giving our families accurate, helpful and timely information so they can make the best decisions for their children.
As the needs of families change, Texas Children’s Pediatrics has adapted to what works best for communication and appointments, resulting in our expansion to virtual health, urgent care and concierge medicine.
AMA: What are some ongoing or upcoming initiatives you’re most excited about?
Dr. Singh: The concierge medicine program is a unique initiative, providing quality personalized care in the setting of our own Texas Children’s Pediatrics practices with all the benefits of being partnered with the larger Texas Children’s Hospital system.
Benjamin Ho, MD, is spearheading this effort at our Pediatric Medical Group location and has already led the way in caring for families who desire extra time and attention that a concierge clinical practice provides.
AMA: How is the organization addressing some of the biggest challenges in children’s health right now—such as mental health, access to care or preventive medicine?
Dr. Singh: Texas Children’s Pediatrics has expanded its behavioral health program to now have more than 20 behavioral health specialists embedded directly in our clinics. This allows us to offer mental health services in the medical home a child and family are already familiar with. We are striving to expand these services, working with partners in the school systems and at the local and state levels to continue to offer care that meets the short- and long-term needs of families.
Our focus on preventative medicine is driven by our desire to educate families on how they can influence and change their children’s life by focusing on basics such as nutrition, sleep, physical activity and educational success. And with 60-plus clinic locations and a wide offering of services via telehealth and our urgent care locations, we are working to provide broad and convenient access, so families always have an option to obtain the highest quality care through our organization.
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AMA: How do you maintain a sense of trust and continuity across Texas Children’s Pediatrics?
Dr. Singh: Texas Children’s Pediatrics maintains trust and continuity by ensuring we are the leader in the delivery of the highest quality pediatric care, no matter where a child is seen within our system. When a family sees the Texas Children’s Pediatrics logo, they can trust that the care teams in that clinic are working to always do their best to provide excellent care, with compassion, at every visit, every location, and every time.
We do not compromise our standards, and our families know this and entrust us with the care of generations of children over time. We pride ourselves in putting our patients first and driving decision-making from the point of view of children and families. From the bright and vibrant colors in our clinics, to the stickers and treats our patients have grown to love, the experience for our patients should be light and fun so they remember smiles and laughter even on their toughest days in our clinics.
AMA: What role does community engagement or partnerships play in the mission of Texas Children’s Pediatrics as it moves into its next chapter?
Dr. Singh: Partnerships in the community are going to be even more important as we see the landscape of health care change over time. Another fundamental aspect to delivering holistic, well-rounded care to our children is understanding that we need to lean on those in the community who assist with the social and economic factors that impact our families.
Through partnerships with the Houston Food Bank and Central Texas Food Bank and Bo’s Place (a bereavement support organization), Texas Children’s Pediatrics can provide extensions to our medical care that impact a child’s life outside of medicine. We will continue to build on corporate partnerships and engagement with nonprofits who will help us bring services to our communities during times of unexpected stress and need. We want to give back to our communities by supporting and fostering outreach beyond our walls to continue to be a pillar of care and compassion wherever we are providing services to children.
We are excited about our future, and we are thrilled to continue to build and excel into the future as a national leader in the delivery of quality pediatric care. The future is bright for Texas Children’s Pediatrics, but most importantly, it is bright for all the children we are entrusted to care for now and for many, many years to come!
