ECU Physicians receives national recognition for diabetes care
Thirty-five ECU Physicians clinicians have received national recognition for their exceptional care of patients with diabetes. Sixteen of the 35 are receiving this designation for the third time.
Dr. Jason Foltz works with a patient at the Family Medicine Center. Foltz, along with 34 other ECU Physicians clinicians, received national recognition for their exceptional care of patients with diabetes. (Photo by Cliff Hollis
ECU Physicians, which became part of ECU Health in January, earned the 2022 Diabetes Recognition Program distinction from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private nonprofit organization devoted to improving the quality of health care, for providing care that meets six predetermined clinical performance measures.
The NCQA determines the top performing medical providers by studying the efficiency of health plans and how well providers deliver scientifically recommended care. Dr. Jason Foltz, chief medical officer for ECU Health Physicians, said this recognition exemplifies their core mission to provide the highest quality most compassionate care to their patients.
“Diabetes is a chronic problem that impacts many aspects of a person’s health,” he said. “It takes an interprofessional team focused on whole person care to partner with each patient on preventive and treatment solutions specific to their needs.”
The NCQA measures and accredits health plans through an exhaustive assessment that includes framework, operations, clinical quality and patient satisfaction. More than 203 million people are enrolled in NCQA-accredited health plans.
“I’m thankful for the trust our patients place in us and our comprehensive care team members always putting the needs of our patients in the center of their care.”
The providers recognized were:
- Internists: Hunter Coore, Muna Rafi Mian, Basem Mishriky, James Powell, Shahnaz Sharmin, and Rachel Gooding;
- Physician assistants: Anna Rosswoods and Kathryn Boulineau; nurse practitioners Christopher Coltrain, Marissa Kleefman Underwood, Jean Conlin and Tiffany Langston; Internists/pediatricians- Drs. Lacy Hobgood, Angie Mathai, Mary Catherine Turner, and Timothy Powell;
- Family medicine physicians: Audie Florida, Celeste Jackson, Kelly Philpot, Rajarajan Panneerselvan, Jason Foltz, David Gilbert, Audy Whitman, Shivajirao Patil, Kellner Pruett, Chelley Alexander, Ricky Watson, Robin Adams, Evan Lutz, Justin Edwards, Jonathon Firnhaber, Matthew Rushing, Janice Daugherty and Prashanti Veludandi;
- Endocrinologist: Caroline Houston.
ECU Physicians primary care clinics have also been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) for achieving “Gold Level” status for three consecutive years for their commitment to treating patients with high blood pressure.
The clinics reached gold level status through the Target BP program, a joint initiative between the AHA and the America Medical Association to recognize clinics that “meet a high bar of excellence around hypertension control.” Clinics achieve gold level status when 70% of their patients who are hypertensive are at control.