It happens every year.  Around this time each December, we are hurrying about with preparations for the holidays and—if we give ourselves time to think—wondering where the year went.  Certainly, at UT Health Physicians the time went by quickly because we have been very busy! 

The number of new patients to UT Health Physicians continues to grow.  In fiscal year 2019, we saw 1.7 million patients!  Just five years ago we were seeing 1.2 million patients annually. We are also expanding our presence in the community; in addition to the Medical Arts & Research Center, we have 13 satellite locations within San Antonio, of which several opened in 2019.  UT Health Physicians now numbers over 800 physicians and 200 advanced practice providers in more than 100 different medical and surgical specialties, offering the latest in treatments for almost every disease. 

We have embarked on a major initiative, collaborating with private physicians in an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) that sets high standards for quality of care and resource utilization, improving health outcomes for our Medicare patients.  We are committed to the concept of Value Based Care for all our patients--keeping patients healthy with effective management and treatments that avoid hospitalizations and emergency room visits.

You, the providers and staff of UT Health Physicians, are having a positive impact on the health of the residents of San Antonio and beyond. Every member of our team, whether in the front lines of the practices or in the essential support roles in Health IT, the Quality Team, Managed Care, Revenue Cycle, Executive Administration and Finance, or Telecommunications, contributes daily to our mission of “taking care of people.”

So, in this season of “giving,” please pause, look back and note how much you, working individually and as a member of a team, have given to our patients to “make their lives better.” Yes, we do it with great medical care, but we also do it with a kind word, a gentle touch, a caring smile, a sympathetic ear. 

Be proud of what you have accomplished; be humbled by the effect you have had on others. Have a wonderful and blessed holiday season.

Leaders of UT Health Physicians presented the first quarter Wow! Awards, High-Five and Patient Experience Practice Champion of the Quarter Awards on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the Medical Arts & Research Center. Please congratulate our winners.

The quarterly Wow! Awards were created to recognize practices, providers and employees who go above and beyond to ensure every patient has the best experience at UT Health Physicians. Every day, more than 1,000 patients come to UT Health Physicians to feel better. When our patients have a great experience with us, they feel better, they trust us more and they are more compliant.

They also tell their family and friends to come to UT Health Physicians for excellent care. Every positive patient experience we provide propels our mission to make lives better and sets us apart as the leaders in health care.

Wow! Award Winners 

A committee formally recognizes Wow! Award winners using the comments and kudos collected from patients and UT Health colleagues. Congratulate this quarter's WOW! Award winners when you see them, and thank them for living out our promise to provide exceptional care to our patients.

Congratulations Winners!

Erica Francisco, Scheduler, Urology at UT Health Medical Arts & Research Center

Robin Maldonado, Call Center, Urology at UT Health Robert Brady Green Campus

Maria Guerrero, Supervisor, Urology at UT Health Robert Brady Green Campus

Alejandra Rodriguez, LVN, Medicine Specialties at UT Health Medical Arts & Research Center

Kimsey Corte, MA, Medicine Specialties at UT Health Medical Arts & Research Center

Patient Experience Practice Champion

During the Wow! Award ceremony, the committee also named this quarter's Patient Experience Practice Champion. This champion is the practice that receives the highest scores on the National Research Corporation (NRC) survey question, "Would you recommend this office to a family or friend?" The goal is for every UT Health Physician practice to have their patients answer, "YES" to this question 95.2 percent of the time.

 Congratulations to

Facial Plastic Surgery

at UT Health Medical Arts & Research Center

100% of their patients said they would recommend their practice to a family or friend.

High-Five Practice Winners  

High-Five Practice Winners are the five practices with the next highest percentage of patients who would recommend the practice to family and friends:

The first quarter's High-Five Practice Winners are:

Urology at UT Health Hill Country – 100%

Cardio Thoracic Surgery at UT Health Medical Arts & Research Center – 98.1%

Pediatric Cardiology at UT Health Westgate – 97.4%

Gynecologic Oncology at UT Health Medical Arts & Research Center – 97.1%

Maternal-Fetal Medicine at UT Health Medical Arts & Research Center – 97 %

Nominate your coworkers for Wow! Awards

If you see a colleague living out our promise to provide exceptional care to our patients, nominate them for a Wow! Award by emailing a short nomination letter to: PratkaA@uthscsa.edu. Or, you may deliver it in person to the first floor administration offices at the Medical Arts & Research Center. A committee formally recognizes Wow! Award winners using the comments and kudos submitted by patients, employees, managers, supervisors and providers during each quarter.

View photos from the reception

Thurs.  Dec. 19 - Dec. 31: Deck the Halls with Joy: 2019 Door Decorating Contest

• All door contest entries will be posted inside a gallery on the UT Health Physicians Facebook page on Thursday, Dec. 19.
• Like and share your favorite doors through Dec. 31.
• The doors that collect the most “likes” before midnight on New Year’s Eve win! 
• Download the flyer for rules and details.

Friday, Dec. 20: Top your scrub bottoms with an Ugly Christmas Sweater

• Sweaters must not impede your ability to safely perform your job duties.
• No obscene words, gestures or symbols
• No sweater decorations that extend past the hemline (e.g., no draping tinsel or large decorations that are attached to the sweater)
• If an employee’s sweater is deemed inappropriate for the workplace, they will be sent home to change with vacation leave used to make up their time.
• Discuss any questions with your manager.

Share your photos on social media to win the UT Health San Antonio contest! On Instagram tag @UTHealthSA. On Facebook tag @UTHealthSAphysicians and @UTHealthSA.

Thank you to the cheerful elves who helped decorate the Medical Arts & Research Center tree while enjoying cocoa, cookies, carols and cheer! Here are some photos from the Tree Trimming Party on Dec. 11.

All UT Health Physicians practices and locations will be closed for the holidays on the following dates:

The phone operators at 210-450-9000 will be available to answer phone calls. If you have any questions about planned holiday closures, please contact your manager.

Click here for a list of all holiday closures for UT Health San Antonio.