Texas Children’s Pediatrics: Right decision at the right time and place

August 6, 2015 | (38) Comments

Making tough decisions typically is not fun. But leaders must have the discernment to make tough calls every day, and as President and CEO of Texas Children’s I am no exception. Yet what I’ve learned in my 25 years here is that if I make decisions that remain focused on what’s best for our patients and their families, we usually land on the right track and success follows.

That’s exactly what happened 20 years ago when Texas Children’s Physician-in-Chief Dr. Ralph D. Feigin and I were grappling with whether to start a network of pediatricians affiliated with Texas Children’s. It was the mid-90s, a time of great change for the health care industry. Several Houston-area pediatricians approached Dr. Feigin to talk about the challenges they were facing managing the business end of their practices while keeping up with what they do best – caring for patients. Hospitals across the country responded to similar concerns by creating pediatric primary care group networks. Many of them, however, did not do so well. They didn’t seem to have the appropriate leadership, business model or commitment to high quality care and service.

Knowing this, Dr. Feigin and I were apprehensive about starting a group practice affiliated with Texas Children’s. But we knew it was the right thing to do for our patients. We knew we needed to create a way for families to access high quality primary care to compliment the comprehensive pediatric subspecialty care provided at Texas Children’s.

By forming Texas Children’s Pediatrics, we gave families in the Greater-Houston area the opportunity to receive pediatric primary care from leading pediatricians associated with one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation. We also allowed physicians to focus on medicine while business leaders and support staff at Texas Children’s handled their practices’ billing, payroll and other back-office responsibilities.

Texas Children’s Pediatrics has helped us take better care of the kids in our community, strengthened our ties to the best pediatricians in the Greater-Houston area and helped us nurture a pipeline of gifted young physicians trained at Baylor College of Medicine to our practices.

Doing what was best for our patients and families was the impetus for Texas Children’s Pediatrics. It is now the largest pediatric primary care network in the nation with more than 200 board-certified pediatricians and 50 practice locations. Each year, the group sees nearly 400,000 patients and has more than 1 million patient encounters. That’s a long way to come in just 20 years and a great reason to celebrate a milestone anniversary.

This video spotlights Texas Children’s Pediatrics’ 20th anniversary.

As part of my One Amazing Team tour, I am visiting all of our practice sites. This week, I stopped by Texas Children’s Pediatrics Ashford, our first practice, which, at that time, was owned by the four Rosenthal brothers – Drs. Morris, Paul, Ben and Harry Rosenthal. Drs. Ben and Harry Rosenthal are still caring for patients with the same zest and zeal they had when they started their careers. And now Dr. Ben’s daughter, Dr. Rachel Rosenthal Bray, has become part of the family’s legacy of dedication to and passion for pediatric primary care.

All of the Texas Children’s Pediatrics staff and employees I’ve visited during the tour thus far share this same passion. They are extremely talented people who are dedicated to meeting the Texas Children’s mission of creating a healthier future for children. Pursuing that common goal creates a network of expertise like no other.

Over the past two decades, I’ve been reminded time and again what a solid decision Texas Children’s Pediatrics was for our patients and families, and I am proud of what we have accomplished together. Congratulations to all of the staff and employees at Texas Children’s Pediatrics for 20 years of work extremely well done. I know there is much more success to come.

38 Responses to “Texas Children’s Pediatrics: Right decision at the right time and place”

  1. Helen Ginn

    Happy 20th Anniversary TCP! I had the pleasure of working with the wonderful doctors at TCP Ashford. They are a great group! Thank you for commitment and daily contribution to our community Dr Harry, Dr Ben and Dr Rachel!! Mr Mark Wallace, thank you for supporting and showing your gratitude to this amazing group of doctors!
    ~ Helen Ginn

  2. Paula Zimlicki

    Very interesting story about TCP! Thank you to Drs. Ben and Harry Rosenthal for still caring for children. The formation of TCP nearly twenty years ago epitomizes the foresight of the executive leadership of Texas Children’s, a trait for which I, as an employee, am grateful.

  3. Lou Fragoso

    Happy 20th Anniversary Texas Children’s Pediatrics! An amazing 20 years of service! It is truly inspiring to work with such dedicated staff and physicians that understand that the future of healthcare is in the community. Thank you Texas Children’s for your commitment to the communities of Houston.

  4. Debra Boult

    Happy 20th TCP! And thank you so much Mr Wallace, your visit to Spring Branch inspired myself as well as my staff. You made everyone feel so comfortable and valued. Your leadership has been tremendous and I am thrilled to be a part of an organization that focus on the devolopment of all to grow. This is a great place to work!!!

  5. Claire Poche

    How fun for me to learn the history of my own new “medical home” as I get to know the staff and patients here at TCP Ripley House. Thanks for making the effort to make it out to so many locations around the Houston area. It’s great to feel connected to all the other groups in the organization.

  6. Kimberly Rosinski

    Happy 20th Anniversary! It’s been a pleasure to be part of this great journey! I’m looking to the future where we can make more great things happen in the the lives our our patients and families….

  7. Eva Alcorn

    Happy 20th Anniversary Texas Children’s Pediatric. I am excited to be part of a company that believes in the employees, the patients and the families. TCP Midtown received a visit from the Honorable Mr. Mark Wallace, President and CEO of TCH. The entire team of TCP Midtown awaited Mr. Wallace’s arrival with great anticipation and eagerness. And WOW, what a great visit it was. Mr. Wallace is very passionate and enthusiastic about TCH/TCP and you can literally touch it his enthusiasm when in his presence. He brought with him huge smiles, much laughter, and many hugs for everyone here. He gave interest to the staff’s service to TCP and their individual family lives. Mr. Wallace is truly “called” for this mission. He is a man of honor, a man of great vision and a man of ACTION! Thank you Mr. Mark Wallace for making our day with a visit and spreading cheer. We appreciate you!

  8. Sara Rodriguez

    Mr. Wallace,
    I am certainly grateful that you took that leap of faith 20 years ago. TCP is an amazing group of hardworking people caring for our community and I’m happy to be a part of it. Thank you for the time you’ve invested in all of your visits. It’s wonderful to hear the stories! Happy birthday Texas Children’s Pediatrics!

  9. Stan Spinner, MD

    TCP has been a remarkable success story. We have truly become a family of very dedicated and caring physicians and staff, and our 400,000 families in the greater Houston area receive world class pediatric care.

  10. Ana Cortez

    It is truly a great pleasure to be part of an organization who cares for the patients as much as TCP. Happy 20th anniversary! Look forward to being a part for 20 more years!

  11. Leroy Thomas

    It is such an honor and pleasure to work for such a wonderful Organization. Wow!!! 20 years serving the patients in the Greater Houston and surrounding areas. The success of TCP and TCH goes back to Mr. Wallace’s #1 Leadership Maxim. “Leadership always influences or determines outcomes, not sometime but all of the time.”

  12. Richard Ruthven

    Mr. Wallace,

    Thank you so much for recognizing and appreciating the efforts of TCP with your current tour coinciding with our 20 year anniversary! I love our mission as an organization and I am always proud to tell people where I work. Glad you are feeling better and I wish you the best!

  13. Mari Trace

    Mr. Wallace-
    Thank you for your continued commitment to Texas Children’s Pediatrics and our staff! I am pretty new to the team but already amazed at the fabulous work happening at each of these practices. It was incredible to see how excited the staff and physicians were during your visits. Your recognition of this huge milestone made all the difference.

  14. Charmaine Patterson-Victor

    Thank you Mr. Wallace for your vision to establish Texas Children’s Pediatrics. Happy 20th Anniversary! We look forward to your visit to the Central Business Office.

  15. Kay Tittle

    Happy 20th Birthday to TCP! It is an honor to work with this group of dedicated physicians and staff that make a difference everyday in the lives of so many families!
    Mark, thank you for your leadership and support!

  16. Pat Coleman

    Happy 20th Birthday TCP! It is great to be part of such an outstanding team! This is definitely the “Best place to work” and easy to understand why! Our compassionate physicians and staff, partnered with loyal, well deserving patients is why we all do what we do!
    Thank you Mark for your leadership! I was blessed to be present during your tour to our TCP Ripley House Community Care practice. Hearing the beautiful words you spoke to that little patient coupled with the happy faces on each our our staff members was evident of why this is THE best place to work! Thank you.

  17. Tonja Neely

    Happy 20th Anniversary TCP!! My team and I really appreciated the visit from Mark Wallace and our TCP Leadership. The energy they displayed was so contagious!! We are an amazing team, who care for amazing people, and work at an amazing place. Wow!!

  18. Pamela Rogers Ryan

    Happy 20th Anniversary TCP! I am proud to announce that I have been with this great organization for 15 years! My team was super excited to meet Mark Wallace, they said that he performed a little song and dance number for them during his visit. Unfortunately I was on vacation and missed the opportunity to meet Mr. Wallace. Hopefully he will visit the practice again real soon!

  19. Jill Fragoso

    Happy 20th Anniversary! Congratulations, TCP, for achieving such tremendous success under Kay Tittle’s tireless leadership. With an amazing leadership team now including Dr. Spinner and Lou Fragoso, I can only imagine the next 20 years are going to be just as spectacular and growth-filled!

  20. Sara Montenegro

    Mr. Wallace – Thank you for lovely 20th birthday tribute, and for making the tough decision to start Texas Children’s Pediatrics! What an honor it is to be part of a team that has the joy of serving our community, each and every day. Our staff and physician teams are the key to the exceptional service we provide every day, and every year!

    Happy Birthday TCP… To the next 20 years!

    Sara

  21. Thomesa Wilson

    Happy 20th Anniversary TCP!! I am so grateful to have been a part of this amazing journey! I’ve never worked with a team of people with such passion and such a wonderful spirit of servitude. I have a great appreciation for our leadership. Thank you, Mr. Wallace for having such a big heart for the children who’s lives continue to be touched by their experiences at TCP…..Looking forward to spending my “next” 20 years here!

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