Seventy-two recognized Texas MDs are Kelsey-Seybold MDs

Houston (September 7, 2010) – Kelsey-Seybold Clinic has achieved the highest level of certification for excellence in diabetes care in Texas, a distinction awarded by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Of the more than 100 physicians in Texas who have earned NCQA certification, Kelsey-Seybold's 72 doctors represent the most for any health care provider in the state.

Certification through NCQA's national Diabetes Recognition Program is achieved as the result of a comprehensive, individualized review process that verifies a physician's adherence to national standards of excellence in caring for patients diagnosed with diabetes.

"Our diabetic patients are the true benefactors of our achievement. They can be assured Kelsey-Seybold physicians are meeting and exceeding quality standards of diabetes care," said Patrick Carter, M.D., M.B.A., Chief of the Department of Family Medicine and Medical Director for Care Coordination and Quality Improvement at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic. "We are very proud to lead Houston and Texas as the standard bearers of diabetes care."

Carter added that diabetes care is a critically important practice given the prevalence of the disease. Over the next 25 years, the number of Americans with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes is expected to soar from 23.7 million to 44.1 million – nearly doubling – and diabetes spending will nearly triple to $336 billion, even if the prevalence of obesity in this country remains stable, according to a study published in the November 2009 issue of Diabetes Care, published by the American Diabetes Association.

Adding to the 11 Kelsey-Seybold physicians certified last summer are these newly certified doctors:

Family Medicine
Alfreda Bell, MD
Sebastian Scobercea, MD
Anisa Ssengoba-Ubogu, MD

Internal Medicine
Adam Mitchell, MD
Tony Nguyen, MD

NCQA-recognized Kelsey-Seybold physicians announced in Summer 2010.

Family Medicine
Thomas Watts, M.D.
Kelly Cajahuaringa, M.D.
Amy Yee-Ru Chen, D.O.
Tricia Elliott, M.D.
Lisa Hauser, M.D.

Internal Medicine
Amy Lothian, M.D.
Cherice Conley-Harvey, M.D.
Irene Sobolevsky, M.D.
Tasneem Yakoob, M.D.

NCQA-recognized Kelsey-Seybold physicians announced in Spring 2010:

Daniel Belley, M.D., Family Medicine
Dennis Brown, M.D., Family Medicine
Enrique Cuevo, M.D., Family Medicine
Donna Espey, M.D., Family Medicine
Fahim Farhat, M.D., Family Medicine
Manish Gandhi, M.D., Family Medicine
Peter Halvorson, M.D., Family Medicine
Sandra Irving, M.D., Family Medicine
Gurjit Kaur, M.D., Internal Medicine
Mervyn Klein, M.D., Internal Medicine
Azam Kundi, M.D., Internal Medicine
Tri Lee, M.D., Endocrinology
James Lewis, M.D., Internal Medicine
Shahid Muhammed, M.D., Endocrinology
Hugh Poindexter, M.D., Family Medicine
Carlos Rivera, M.D., Internal Medicine
Jeffrey Rochen, M.D., Endocrinology
Lucia Sandoval, M.D., Family Medicine
Nicholas Solomos, M.D., Family Medicine
Thomas Stasicha, M.D., Internal Medicine
John Tam, M.D., Internal Medicine
Tom Thomas, M.D., Endocrinology
Robert Turner, D.O., Family Medicine
Debbie Walcott, M.D., Internal Medicine

NCQA-recognized Kelsey-Seybold physicians announced in Summer 2009:

Donnie Aga, M.D., Internal Medicine
Maria Argao, M.D., Family Medicine
Savitri Ariyaratna, M.D., Family Medicine
Tahirih Baker, M.D., Family Medicine
Cynthia Basaldua, M.D., Internal Medicine
Patrick Carter, M.D., Family Medicine
Chandra Chaudhuri, M.D., Family Medicine
Olethia Chisolm, M.D., Internal Medicine
Carminia Davidsohn, M.D., Internal Medicine
Robert Dickinson, M.D., Internal Medicine
Hafiza Docrat, M.D., Internal Medicine
Thomas Doneker, M.D., Internal Medicine
Leonardo Espitia, M.D., Family Medicine
Nicizaki Guzman, M.D., Family Medicine
Rahim Haikal, M.D., Family Medicine
Jaesoon Hite, M.D., Family Medicine
Son Hoang, M.D., Family Medicine
Cecilia Lowder, M.D., Internal Medicine
Bret McAden, M.D., Internal Medicine
Abdulrasul Meghji, M.D., Family Medicine
Kathleen Ryan, M.D., Internal Medicine
Ifikhar Sarwar, M.D., Internal Medicine
Michael Shelton, M.D., Family Medicine
Victor Simms, M.D., Internal Medicine
Quyen Trinh, D.O., Family Medicine
Thomas Williamson, M.D., Internal Medicine
Lansing Yee, M.D., Family Medicine
Michael Zionts, M.D., Internal Medicine

This voluntary program is designed to recognize physicians and other clinicians, who use evidence-based measures and provide a high quality of care to their patients with diabetes. The Diabetes Recognition Program has 10 measures which cover areas such as blood pressure and cholesterol control, eye examinations and smoking cessation advice. To certify, physicians are asked to submit data to illustrate their diabetes management success. Patients and their family members can be reassured to know they are under the high-quality care of a NCQA-certified physician who has been reviewed for adherence to quality standards.

"Those who achieve this recognition show their peers, patients and others in the diabetes community that they are part of an elite group that is publicly recognized for skills in providing the highest level of diabetes care," said J. Ralston Creswell, CAE, senior executive director of the American Diabetes Association. "This list of recognized clinicians is the first place to look if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with diabetes."

The NCQA Recognition Program was developed to help physicians and practices support the delivery of high-quality care. It has been built on evidence-based, nationally recognized clinical standards of care. NCQA, in partnership with the American Diabetes Association, developed the Diabetes Recognition Program to recognize clinicians who have met standards demonstrating delivery of high-quality care to patients with diabetes.

These measurements are reinforced through an annual report compiled by the NCQA. Along with the Diabetes Recognition Program, physicians can receive certification in two other divisions of the program: the Heart/Stroke Recognition Program and the Back Pain Recognition Program.

About NCQA

The National Committee for Quality Assurance is a private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Since its founding in 1990, NCQA has been a central figure in driving improvement throughout the health care system, helping to elevate the issue of health care quality to the top of the national agenda.