Cook Children's Physician Network

Cook Children's Physician Network is the largest pediatric multi-specialty physician group in North Texas and has grown to include approximately 79 practice locations. CCPN employs approximately 550 physicians and surgeons, including 385 pediatric specialists and 165 primary care pediatricians. The Network also employs 370 advanced practice providers such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified registered nurse anesthetists. These professionals are an integral part of the Cook Children's Health Care System (CCHCS) and help support the system's approximately 1.7 million annual patient encounters. Twenty-five of CCPN's board-certified pediatricians provide care in seven Neighborhood Centers (NHC) located in economically disadvantaged areas within Tarrant County. The Neighborhood Clinics' professional staff also includes two dentists and twelve advanced practice providers. Neighborhood Clinics provide primary care services and serve as medical homes predominantly for children insured under government-funded programs such as the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid and Medicaid Managed Care plans. Cook Children's Physician Network is currently in the planning and development phases to add two additional Neighborhood Clinics in Tarrant County. In addition to numerous provider locations in Tarrant, Denton, Hood and Collin counties, CCPN has increased access to pediatric sub-specialty care through outreach in West Texas where specialty care is limited. Each month, numerous CCPN specialty physicians and surgeons travel to seven West Texas markets that lack the full spectrum of pediatric specialty care to serve patients close to their homes. The need for these outreach services in underserved markets is expected to grow as the physician shortage worsens over time. Collaborative Care The Jane and John Justin Institute for Mind Health was created to allow multiple specialties caring for patients with neurological and behavioral health disorders practice in one location. The specialties that make up the Institute for Mind Health include neurology, neurosurgery, developmental pediatrics, developmental psychology, psychology, neuropsychiatry, psychiatry, pain medicine and rehabilitation services. While some programs may hire a provider from another discipline, it is rare to have the entirety of departments working as a unit. Bringing together nine specialties previously located across the campus changes the way we deliver care by providing accessible, comprehensive and well-coordinated care under one roof. This approach will increase collaboration and improve patient outcomes with the amount of cooperative care amongst the multiple departments now working in close proximity to each other. It also drives innovation through research to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Co-locating these services makes this a one-stop clinical center of care leveraging clinical efficiencies and potentially reducing redundancy in referrals sent to these departments. Expanding Horizons Cook Children's Dodson Specialty Clinics building was expanded to accommodate increased outpatient specialty visit volumes as well as expand future patient access to specialty care. This addition adds 240,000 square feet, making way for six new specialty services to make the Dodson Specialty Clinics building their new home. The expansion, which opened in March 2023, is designed to make visits to one of the more than 35 specialty clinics easier and more convenient for patients and their families. The Dodson expansion places specialty services under one roof, connecting the dots of care, collaboration and convenience for physicians and families. While adding space for clinic growth, the expansion also includes the addition of a Peaks Tech Zone, a sibling center, a cafe, a pharmacy, and other retail space for resources that support the patient experience during their visit with multiple physicians and ancillary services. In FY23, CCPN developed a larger presence in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Aubrey and Prosper, Texas, which currently includes 18 primary care locations and 40 general pediatricians. In addition, CCPN has approximately 40 pediatric subspecialists working in the Prosper Medical Office Building and at Cook Children's Medical Center - Prosper. Physician Wellness Physician burnout remains a growing problem. COVID-19 exacerbated the problem by putting a significant strain on physician practices and medical providers everywhere. Since the pandemic, health care's typical seasonality where months of high demand are followed by lulls is a thing of the past. This unremitting toil wears on providers and further worsens the burnout of physicians with poor work/life integration. In 2022, CCPN established an Office of Physician Well-being, staffed by a general pediatrician and a pediatric specialist. Their role is to foster the well-being of physicians, through system-level interventions, addressing activities that contribute to burnout. In 2023, Cook Children's was awarded the bronze level of recognition from the American Medical Association Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program based upon these efforts. We continue to strive toward helping our physicians remain connected to the joy and meaning in their work. Top Docs Each year, D Magazine and Fort Worth Top Doctors highlight the region's best physicians as chosen by their peers. Votes are tallied and sorted by the editorial staff, and the remaining votes are vetted by an anonymous panel of esteemed doctors. Sixteen Cook Children's doctors were named to D Magazine's list and 30 were voted Fort Worth Top Doctors for the 2023 Best Doctors and Pediatric Specialists. In 2023, Paul Thornton, M.D., medical director of Diabetes and Endocrinology and world-renowned expert on hyperinsulinism, was awarded the 2023 Global Impact Award. The City of Fort Worth and Fort Worth Sister Cities International bestowed the award for Dr. Thornton's lifelong work in hyperinsulinism, a potentially devastating, rare genetic disease. The award was presented at the Mayor's International Dinner by Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker on Nov. 1. This award recognizes Dr. Thornton's tenacity and dedication to helping improve the quality of life for children across the globe with this rare disease.