Cook Childrens Physician Network

KNOWING THAT EVERY CHILD'S LIFE IS SACRED OUR PROMISE IS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF EVERY CHILD IN OUR REGION THROUGH THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ILLNESS, DISEASE AND INJURY.

COOK CHILDREN'S PHYSICIAN NETWORK IS THE LARGEST PEDIATRIC MULTI-SPECIALTY PHYSICIAN NETWORK IN NORTH TEXAS WHICH INCLUDES MORE THAN 70 PRACTICE LOCATIONS. THE NETWORK EMPLOYS 469 PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS, INCLUDING 329 PEDIATRIC SPECIALISTS AND 113 PRIMARY CARE PEDIATRICIANS. THE NETWORK ALSO EMPLOYS 303 ADVANCED PRACTICE PROVIDERS SUCH AS NURSE PRACTITIONERS, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETISTS. THESE PROFESSIONALS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE COOK CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND HELP SUPPORT THE SYSTEM'S APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILLION PATIENT ENCOUNTERS ANNUALLY. TWENTY-SIX BOARD-CERTIFIED CCPN PEDIATRICIANS PROVIDE CARE IN SEVEN NEIGHBORHOOD CLINICS LOCATED IN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AREAS WITHIN TARRANT COUNTY. CLINIC STAFF ALSO INCLUDES TWO DENTISTS AND NINE ADVANCED PRACTICE PROVIDERS. NEIGHBORHOOD CLINICS PROVIDE PRIMARY CARE SERVICES AND SERVE AS MEDICAL HOMES PREDOMINANTLY FOR CHILDREN INSURED UNDER GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP), MEDICAID AND MEDICAID MANAGED CARE PLANS. IN ADDITION TO NUMEROUS PROVIDER LOCATIONS IN TARRANT, DENTON, HOOD AND COLLIN COUNTIES, CCPN HAS INCREASED ACCESS TO PEDIATRIC SUB-SPECIALTY CARE THROUGH OUTREACH IN AREAS SUCH AS WEST TEXAS WHERE SPECIALTY CARE IS LIMITED. EACH MONTH, NUMEROUS CCPN SPECIALTY PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS TRAVEL TO MARKETS THAT LACK THE FULL SPECTRUM OF PEDIATRIC SPECIALTY CARE TO SERVE PATIENTS CLOSE TO THEIR HOMES. THE NEED FOR THESE OUTREACH SERVICES IN UNDERSERVED MARKETS IS EXPECTED TO GROW AS THE PHYSICIAN SHORTAGE WORSENS OVER TIME. VIRTUAL HEALTH THE PANDEMIC RAPIDLY ACCELERATED THE GROWTH OF VIRTUAL HEALTH SERVICES, WHICH CONTINUE TO BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF HOW PHYSICIANS AND PROVIDERS CARE FOR PATIENTS. THE NETWORK HAS BEEN DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING TELEMEDICINE CAPABILITIES FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND DEFINES THIS SERVICE AS A LIVE VIDEO AND AUDIO ENCOUNTER WITH A PATIENT/PARENT WHO IS EITHER IN A REMOTE CCPN CLINIC OR SIMPLY ACCESSING CARE FROM HOME. PATIENT FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO 30 PEDIATRIC SPECIALTIES VIA TELEMEDICINE: CARDIOLOGY CRANIOFACIAL ENDOCRINOLOGY GASTROENTEROLOGY CLINICAL GENETICS METABOLIC GENETICS HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY INFECTIOUS DISEASE NEONATOLOGY NEPHROLOGY NEUROLOGY EPILEPTOLOGY PAIN MANAGEMENT PALLIATIVE CARE PEDIATRIC SURGERY PSYCHIATRY PHYSICAL MEDICINE (PM&R) PULMONARY PSYCHOLOGY/ RHEUMATOLOGY UROLOGY NEUROPSYCHOLOGY CT SURGERY DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS DERMATOLOGY ENT IMMUNOLOGY NEUROSURGERY ORTHOPEDICS SLEEP WOUNDCARE NETWORK PROVIDERS HOSTED MORE THAN 80,000 VISITS VIA TELEMEDICINE IN 2021. TELEMEDICINE OFFERS IMMEDIATE CARE AND PATIENT MONITORING, SAVING HOURS OF TRAVEL FOR PATIENT FAMILIES. COOK CHILDREN'S PHYSICIAN NETWORK TELEMEDICINE ALSO SUPPORTS SCHOOL-BASED NURSES IN 19 LOCAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS (ISD), WHICH INCLUDES 114 CAMPUSES. THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO GROW BY SEVERAL ISDS IN FY22. COVID-19 COORDINATION AS PRIMARY AND SPECIALTY CARE PROVIDERS, CCPN PHYSICIANS, ADVANCED PRACTICE PROVIDERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD CLINICS ARE OFTEN THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE. DURING THE PANDEMIC, THEY PLAYED AN EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT AND INVALUABLE ROLE IN EDUCATING THE PUBLIC AND KEEPING FAMILIES SAFE AND HEALTHY WHILE WORKING TIRELESSLY TO ADAPT AND ADJUST TO THE EVER-CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS. THROUGHOUT 2021, CCPN CONTINUALLY MODIFIED LOCATION-SPECIFIC SAFETY PLANS AND WORKFLOWS THAT ALLOWED THEM TO SERVE PATIENTS EFFICIENTLY WHILE ALSO PROTECTING PATIENTS, FAMILIES AND PERSONNEL. SUCH MEASURES INCLUDED ESTABLISHING PROTOCOLS FOR TESTING STAFF AND IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES FOR PROTECTING AT-RISK STAFF MEMBERS AND PROVIDERS. INITIALLY, CCPN PROVIDERS OFFERED COVID VACCINATIONS TO ELIGIBLE PATIENTS AT SEVERAL DRIVE-THRU VACCINATION CLINIC SITES. A TOTAL OF 3,511 CHILDREN RECEIVED ONE OR BOTH OF THEIR VACCINE DOSES THROUGH THESE CLINIC EVENTS IN 2021. AS ELIGIBILITY EXPANDED, CCPN PROVIDERS BEGAN ADMINISTERING COVID SHOTS AT SEVEN NEIGHBORHOOD CLINICS AND 28 PRIMARY CARE LOCATIONS, VACCINATING A TOTAL OF 3,567 PATIENTS AT THESE LOCATIONS IN 2021. NETWORK PROVIDERS CONTINUE TO ADMINISTER VACCINES AS PART OF THE PATIENT CARE SERVICES THEY ROUTINELY OFFER.