Courtesy photo.
CENTRAL COAST — CenCal Health, the publicly-sponsored health plan for Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, annually recognizes the work of local network physicians and healthcare centers through its Primary Care Providers (PCP) Incentive Top Performer Awards. The awards acknowledge PCPs across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties who provide high-quality healthcare and control utilization costs of their assigned health plan membership. There are four award categories: pediatrics, family practice, internal medicine, and federally-qualified health centers. The awards are based on 2018 performance scores with the results announced to providers in 2019.
In internal medicine, Dr. Eric Levy of Santa Maria (pictured above) was named the top performer within his provider group. “I enjoy serving the CenCal Health population,” said Levy. “It’s a challenge that has to be met in our community. When the less fortunate are treated to quality healthcare, we all benefit.” The Jackson Medical Group, with multiple offices in Santa Barbara County, placed both second (Pacific Oaks, Goleta location) and third (Santa Barbara location.)
To ensure that providers continue to offer quality services and manage costs, CenCal Health monitors their performance via monthly reports. Within these reports, eight categories are measured: physician/ outpatient expenses, inpatient hospital expenses, pharmacy expenses, emergency room visits, doctor and patient encounters, after hours visits, preventive medicine evaluations, and increased access to care for Medi-Cal members. The data included is not only valuable to the health plan but is considered a key resource for practices looking to improve their quality of care.
“Our longtime mission at the Jackson Medical Group [JMG] is to provide high-quality medical care in an efficient and cost-effective manner,” said JMG Medical Director Douglas R. Jackson, M.D. “CenCal Health is a wonderful partner and allows us to do our job without the roadblocks put up by so many other health plans.”
In pediatrics, Dr. Jeffery S. Kaplan of Santa Maria earned the top honor among his pediatrics peer group, moving up from last year’s second place. Also recognized for their dedication to high quality care is Dr. Himat Tank of Santa Maria, and the Pediatric Medical Group of Santa Maria.
Valley Medical Group of Lompoc was named the best performing family practice within both counties. Central Coast Medical Group in Lompoc and Buellton Medical Center also stood out among their peer set.
Community Health Centers of the Central Coast, in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, earned the top spot for Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Other FQHCs awarded were Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, and Santa Barbara County Public Health, located in Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Santa Maria.
“All of us at CenCal Health humbly thank our provider partners for continually offering quality services to our valuable members,” said Terri Howell, Provider Services Director for CenCal Health. “These medical professionals provide necessary wellness exams to CenCal Health members who otherwise would not have access to care. Our membership is comprised of the most vulnerable populations in the communities we serve, and we are grateful for the partnership and care of our dedicated providers.”
About CenCal Health: CenCal Health’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of the communities it serves by providing access to high quality health services, along with education and outreach, for our membership. As a public entity, CenCal Health is a community-accountable health plan partnering with over 1,500 local physicians, hospitals and other providers in delivering exceptional patient care to more than 175,000 members – about one in four residents of Santa Barbara County and one in five residents of San Luis Obispo County. Established in 1983, it is the oldest managed Medicaid plan of its kind in the nation. CenCal Health employs close to 250 people at offices in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and contributes approximately $50 million a month into the local economy, primarily through payments to healthcare providers who serve our membership.cencalhealth.org