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PHYSICIAN
PRACTICES

will likely see fewer patients in a day and spend more time WELLMED MEDICAL GROUP, P.A.
with each one as a result, he said.
Founded in 1990
“It allows us to have deeper relationships with our pa-
tients,” he said. CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS:
8637 Fredericksburg, Ste. 360
Dr. Susan Lee, chief of central clinical programs at San Antonio, TX 78240
WellMed, said since the Medicare Advantage Plan re- Phone: 1-888-781-9355 (WELL)
quires the primary care physician to manage all aspects Website: www.wellmedhealthcare.com
of a patients care, it was determined that a group effort Social media links:
would be best. • Facebook.com/WellMed
• LinkedIn.com/WellMed
“We knew that if we took on the full risk and respon- • YouTube.com/WellMed1
sibility for the care of the patient, we could find ways to • www.linkedin.com/company/wellmed-medical-managemen
provide better benefits with those funds,” she said. “If
we could arrange to give them more timely care, that PRESIDENT AND/OR LEAD PHYSICIAN
would help prevent emergency room visits down the Chairman & CEO – George Rapier III, MD
road.” President, WellMed Medical Group – Carlos O. Hernandez, MD

The bottom line was that by focusing on preventative WellMed staff physicians in San Antonio have privileges at all Bap-
care they were able to generate savings that could be re- tist Health System and Methodist Healthcare System hospitals.
invested back into the care model.
401K, savings and retirement plan options, paid leave, dental,
It actually costs less to provide better care, she said. vision, medical, paid holidays, options for disability and life
Coordination of care requires a lot of effort. Without insurance, competitive compensation program and work-life
that coordination it can create a lot of problems for the balance program, multiple incentive opportunities
patients and expensive redundancies.
WellMed is a pioneer of the ACO model and continues to practice
“If they see a specialist, we make sure we have access today under the nationally recognized WellMed Care Model.
to that information and our hospitalist calls to set up a
person-to-person conversation with the clinic doctor,” WellMed Medical Group operates as a primary care and multi-
Lee said. “This way we can see at a glance all the things specialty practice specializing in senior health care.
that can be overlooked in a busy practice.”
OUR PHYSICIANS ARE CERTIFIED IN VARIOUS
WellMed creates a registry or data list of patients to SPECIALTIES INCLUDING:
make sure that no one is missing quality health metrics, • Dermatology
Lee said. • Geriatrics
• Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology
“If I was in private practice on my own, I wouldn’t • Family Medicine
have a team of nurses around me helping with all of this • Family Practice
vital coordination of care,” she said. When these things • Hospital Medicine
are overlooked it leads to patients be readmitted for more • Internal Medicine
expensive care, she adds. • Neurology
• Osteopathic Medicine
“Our goal is to see all of our patients within three days • Palliative Care
of discharge to make sure they got everything they need,” • Pain Management
she said. “Our aggressive approach has been shown to • Podiatry and Podiatric Surgery
prevent the need for readmissions and overall better re- • Rheumatology
sults for our patients.” • Wound Care

Recently, WellMed earned the Gold Seal of Approval WellMed accepts new Medicare/Medicaid patients
for Ambulatory Health Care from The Joint Commis-
sion, the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and WellMed is covered by Texas Medical Liability Trust
accrediting health care body. WellMed also received the WellMed accepts multiple, Medicare Advantage health plans
Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) Certification, an in different markets as payers for patient services.
additional designation earned by select ambulatory health
care organizations. IN BEXAR COUNTY WE ACCEPT:
• Original Medicare
“I think the dream has been realized in what we have • Cigna Health Spring
accomplished,” Lee said. “For us it is not about how • Amerigroup
many patients we see in a day, but how well we take care • United Healthcare
of them. The most expensive care is delayed or deferred • Superior / Centene
care – like not changing the oil in your car. I think we
have proved what we set out to do.” visit us at www.bcms.org 37