Kelsey-Seybold Clinic Receives National Recognition for Excellence in Diabetes Care

Sixty-five recognized Texas MDs are Kelsey-Seybold MDs

Houston (April 13, 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 65 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 25 Kelsey-Seybold physicians certified last spring are 11 newly certified doctors:

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.
• Satish Naik, 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
• Meena Eswaran, 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.