Superior HealthPlan Names South Texas Pediatric & Congenital Heart Center a Center of Excellence

"A Superior Center of Excellence means that a practice has met some very high standards," said Dr. Catherine Young, Superior Medical Director in McAllen. "If I was a provider looking for a place to send my patient that would be an important designation. If I was a mother looking for a place where my child is going to get exceptional care, the designation as a Center of Excellence matters."

To qualify, the Pediatric & Congenital Heart Center had to meet more than 60 criteria, including quality improvement initiatives, program processes, staff requirements and a low mortality rate. In 2015, the South Texas Pediatric & Congenital Health Center's mortality rate of just 1.6 percent was exactly half that of the national average.

While not a requirement, the Pediatric & Congenital Heart Center, which is part of University Health System in partnership with the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, also boasts an impressive list of invaluable humanitarian work. This includes performing life-saving heart surgeries on children from other countries through the HeartGift program. Its pediatric cardiac surgeons have also travelled abroad, on humanitarian missions in Palestine, the Gaza Strip and Peru.

"You have every expectation that your baby is going to be born healthy," said Leni Kirkman, Sr. Vice President of Strategic Communications & Patient Relations at University Health System. "When that's not the case, you have to trust somebody. It's an honor for us to be designated a Center of Excellence by Superior, because they have a lot of experience and expertise in connecting their members to where they can get the best care. We're very proud of the work we do, but when someone else takes an in-depth review of our program and designates it a Center of Excellence, that's truly an honor."

The Center of Excellence is a new initiative launched by Superior in an effort to raise the level of care received by its members. The goal of this program is to allow Superior to work more closely with providers that have the highest standards of care, consistently positive outcomes and demonstrate a commitment to patient safety. In the future, Superior plans to add other providers that meet these high standards to its Network of Centers of Excellence.

About Superior HealthPlan 
Austin-based Superior HealthPlan (Superior) is a managed care company that employs more than 2,600 people across nine Texas offices. Superior is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise offering both core Medicaid and specialty services. Superior is licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance and is a Qualified Health Plan issuer in the Texas Health Insurance Marketplace. More information on Superior can be found at www.SuperiorHealthPlan.com.

About University Health System
University Health System is a nationally recognized teaching hospital and network of outpatient healthcare centers, owned by the people of Bexar County. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks University Health System best hospital in San Antonio, and sixth-best in Texas. University Hospital is the premier Level I trauma center for South Texas, and the Health System is the region's only healthcare organization to earn Magnet designation – the Gold Standard in patient care – from the American Nurses Association. Learn more at UniversityHealthSystem.com.  

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SOURCE Superior HealthPlan

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