WellMed Medical Management

WellMed Medical Management is a diversified American health care company that specializes in providing healthcare to seniors with a focus on prevention. WellMed corporate headquarters are located in San Antonio, Texas in the city's Medical Center. George M. Rapier III, M.D. founded the company in 1990 and continues to be the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of the largest physician-led healthcare delivery network for seniors in South Texas.
The company operates more than 60 WellMed clinics in Texas and Florida.
WellMed provides medical management services to more than 4,000 independent physicians in Texas and Florida. These services target Medicare-eligible seniors on qualifying plans with a focus on prevention through managed care techniques. The company operates four in-take transition centers in San Antonio, El Paso, Corpus Christi and Rio Grande Valley (TX) to better support these physician offices. WellMed specializes in disease management, medical risk management, clinical research and chronic-care business models. WellMed currently employs 2,100+ people.
The company currently services over 100,000 patients and HMO members, mostly Medicare-eligible seniors. The 2010 revenues totaled $1.09 billion and the assets for 2010 totaled $305.2 million, for the largest physician-owned practice management company in South Texas. The provider serves 1 in 5 Medicare-eligible seniors in the San Antonio region. Many WellMed clinics include X-ray machines, laboratories (generally used for blood-work purposes) and on-site pharmacies. WellMed's disease management and educational programs cover debilitating chronic illnesses such as Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (asthma) and Ischemic Heart Disease.
About the Founder
WellMed Medical Management is the parent company of WellMed Medical Group; the founder, Chairman and CEO is George M. Rapier III, M.D. Dr. Rapier is a native of Dallas, Texas. He earned his Medical Degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine. He completed his Internship and Residency Program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Since 1985, Dr. Rapier has served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX.
In 1990, George Rapier, M.D. founded WellMed Medical Management, formerly known as Princeton Medical Management Resources, as well as WellMed Medical Group. In 2006, Dr. Rapier established a personal non-profit charity: The Blake, Kymberly and George Rapier Charitable Trust. The trust, which focuses on causes that benefit children and education, has distributed nearly $17 million to local charitable causes since forming in 2006.
In 2009, Dr. Rapier was named "Physician Entrepreneur of the Year" by Modern Physician. The award recognizes physicians who have made a significant mark on the business side of healthcare. Generally, the award goes to physicians who successfully lead or manage businesses serving the healthcare industry or to physicians who introduce successful new products or services to the industry.
Business Entities
DataRap (R)
DataRap(R) is a patent pending system developed by WellMed and used for precise coding and documentation of medical records. The design of this systematic method has the ability to operate in any health care environment utilizing risk-assessment, risk adjustment and fee-for-service.
*DataRap(R) was designed to provide risk adjustment services by adhering to coding standards and CMS requirements. It is a system and method to review and monitor patients' medical records through the comprehensive review of health-related data from all accessible resources. It corroborates validation reviews to confirm and monitor suitably appropriate documentation as well as proper coding of a patient's health status. It systematically analyzes and reports health-related data in order to identify health trends, risks, opportunities for development and improvement, and to further research.
*The system was put into place to be a method for monitoring and reviewing patient health-related data, confine all information necessary to describe a patient's health status, update and maintain health status information, and report or produce such information for purposes appropriate for the system. Reviews created by DataRap(R) aid in proper coding of diagnostic evaluations as well as complete documentation for patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans through HCC assignment, which consequently results in payment accuracy.
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) developed the HCC model for Medicare Advantage Plans which requires suitable coding in order to identify the actual health risk of the patient. Clear, concise documentation is a necessity in order to provide comprehensive coding and reporting.
*CMS now bases health plan payments for patients with Medicare Advantage on health status. Every year, medical record documentation of a patient must transcribe all chronic diagnoses that have been evaluated for the patient in order to receive appropriate health care services in the year to come. ICD-9 coding must be extremely precise and to the highest level of specificity. The documentation must depict the plan components along with the assessment.
Comfort Care Transportation
Door to door transportation services for patient health care and medical management purposes in seven metro areas throughout the Greater San Antonio area.
Bexar Imaging
A medical facility that offers complex MRI, X-ray and complex radiological services located in San Antonio, TX. The facility is accredited by the American College of Radiology in CT, MRI and Ultrasound and received accreditation in mammography from the Texas Department of Health. Bexar Imaging offers a wide variety of services, including:
*MRI
*CT Scan
*Ultrasound
*Mammography
*DEXA (also known as Bone Density Scan)
HealthRight
HealthRight and WellMed have been recognized by the non-profit DMAA: The Care Continuum, one of the nation's leading advocates for the promotion of effective disease management, chronic care and preventive healthcare. WellMed received the Outstanding Quality Initiative Award in 2008. HealthRight is a chronic-care program focusing on seniors with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)/Asthma, Diabetes, Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) and/or Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). WellMed's Disease Management program is a system that coordinates healthcare operations through intervention and communication; specifically for populations with conditions in which patient self-care efforts are significant. Health coaches involved with the program are dedicated to reducing the risk of obtaining chronic diseases in seniors. The Health Coaches (nurses) work with primary care physicians in order to identify and closely monitor chronically ill patients, and then educate and mentor them about living with as well as dealing with their diseases.
The purpose of HealthRight is to identify patients with chronic diseases, to manage these conditions more effectively through care coordination and education, and to decrease, prevent, or reverse the progression of chronic diseases thereby reducing the potential healthcare costs that are related to chronic illnesses.
Current programs include:
*Diabetes
*Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
*Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD)
*Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
*Pre-Disease Management
*Complex care
*Wound care
HealthRight Health Coaches
After meeting with the primary care physician, patients have the opportunity to spend time with a Health Coach, whose responsibility is to coach and provide patients with the tools they need to better manage their life as well as their disease.
A Health Coach will work directly with patients on things that are of particular importance to them. They provide coaching for self-management support that promotes fundamentally focused education that spotlights any specific needs that their disease might require. This helps to spearhead the identification process of any additional resources that may be required to help assist a patient's success in the Disease Management program.
Several good examples of the resources at a patient's disposal are access to social workers if/when needed, provision of diabetic testing supplies and even diabetic shoes to help support achy feet (a very common symptom of diabetes). There are also group classes offered as well as one-on-one sessions that cover the facts about diabetes and heart disease. The sessions are presented by Certified Diabetes Educators and nurses with experience treating patients with chronic illnesses and debilitating diseases.
Medical Preparatory School of Allied Health
Innovative Medical Assistant Programs
The Medical Preparatory School of Allied Health was assembled by local physicians.
The 10-month Medical Assistant program offers traditional and non-traditional classroom settings taught by nurses and practicing physicians. The program also offers two clinical externships each session. The program places special emphasis placed on: critical thinking, assessment, professionalism and customer service.
Classes include:
*Introduction to Medical Assistant
*Medical Terminology
*Computers & Basic Keyboarding
*Anatomy & Physiology
*Medical Law & Ethics
*Communication for Health Professionals
*CPR & First Aid
*Administrative Office Procedures
*Medical INS, Billing & Coding
*Pharmacology & Medical Math
*Clinical Medical Assisting I
*Clinical Medical Assisting II
*Career Development
Physicians Health Choice
A Medicare Advantage Plan Organization that offers health insurance plans in Texas and Florida. Physicians Health Choice contracts with the government agency who runs the Medicare program, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Patients are required to use doctors and specialists in the network that PHC provides because it is not a Medicare supplement policy.
The Medicare Advantage Plan is currently operating in these markets:
*Texas - Austin, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Rio Grande Valley
*Florida
Recent Awards
*Top 50 Private Companies List for 2010, 2009, 2008 (San Antonio Business Journal): WellMed Medical Management rose to No. 5 on the annual Top 50 Private Companies ranking published in the most recent listing from the San Antonio Business Journal. WellMed continues to be the top-ranked company from the healthcare industry or medical field. This is the third year in a row that WellMed has been named to the list; WellMed ranked 18th in 2008 and 8th in 2009.
*2008 Outstanding Quality Initiative, from (DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance): One of the nation's leading advocates for the promotion and endorsement of effective disease management, chronic care and preventive healthcare recognized WellMed Medical Management for its groundbreaking disease management program, HealthRight. By investing millions of dollars in value-added initiatives, HealthRight patients experienced a dramatic reduction in hospitalizations, improved lipid results and better overall health outcomes as a result of the contribution.
*2008 Healthcare Innovator (San Antonio Business Journal): This major South Texas weekly publication awarded the company its 2008 Healthcare Heroes: Healthcare Innovator award for the introduction of the 'WellMed CARE Band', a new state-of-the-art electronic medical record device that fits on a key chain or on a simple rubber wristband.
*Fast-Track Companies of 2009, 2010 (San Antonio Business Journal): The publication ranked WellMed No. 2 among the fastest-growing San Antonio-based companies with more than $500 million in revenue in the latest ranking. The fastest growing companies are identified and ranked by compounding the average percentage of revenue growth throughout the entire fiscal year.
*2009 Richard L. Doyle Award For Innovation and Leadership in Healthcare: The award recognizes Milliman Care Guidelines clients who are healthcare leaders and innovators - those using Care Guidelines to advance the delivery of optimal healthcare. WellMed won the 1st-ever Doyle Award for using evidenced based guidelines to decrease hospitalization time for patients requiring total knee replacement surgery, which happens to be one of the fastest-growing procedures among patients 45 years or older. Specifically, WellMed worked alongside an orthopedic surgeon, David Fox M.D., and Northeast Baptist Hospital in order to create a rehabilitation center - dubbed "Joint Camp" - on the recovery floor. Success of the WellMed program prompted Baptist Health System, the largest hospital system in San Antonio - with about 1,200 total knee replacement patients in 2007 - to adopt the "Joint Camp" model for its five hospitals in 2008.
* Inc. 500 (Inc. Magazine): Recognized in 2010 and 2009 among the nation's fastest-growing private companies. Ranked both years in Top 100 among Inc. 5000 companies in gross dollars of growth and overall revenue.
* 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year (Modern Physician): This leading online news source for US healthcare executives and professionals honored WellMed CEO Dr. George Rapier III as a business leader and innovator in the healthcare industry.
* 2010, 2009 Top Workplaces (San Antonio Express-News): WellMed ranked among the best large employers in the San Antonio, TX area based on employee surveys.
WellMed Charitable Foundation
Established in 2006, the WellMed Charitable Foundation is a Non-profit organization in accordance with , a provision of the United States Internal Revenue Code that specifically corresponds with organizations that fit these descriptions: Religious, Educational, Charitable, Scientific, Literary, Testing for Public Safety, to Foster National or International Amateur Sports Competition, or Prevention of Cruelty to Children or Animals Organizations. The WellMed Charitable Foundation exclusively supports seniors and their caregivers in the Greater San Antonio (TX) community on wellness and living with illness. It is the philanthropic arm of WellMed Medical Group.
Some significant donations contributed by the WellMed Charitable Foundation include:
*Alamo Caregiver TeleConnection: In April 2009, the WellMed Charitable Foundation was awarded a $600,000 grant from the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation - initial supporter of Aging with Dignity - one of the largest private foundations in the United States. Under their Family and Information Caregivers Program, this grant will provide caregiver education and social interaction using the simplicity of telephone technology. It is a partnership with the Alamo Service Connection, the three local Caregiver SOS by WellMed, AACOG Bexar Area Agency on Aging, Jewish Family Service and the City of San Antonio. For more information on the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation, please see http://www.hjweinbergfoundation.org.
*Caregiver SOS By WellMed: This free community resource aims to support caregivers and those recently diagnosed with debilitating conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, chronic lung disease and heart disease.
*Free Flu Shots: The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District received $250,000 to offer free flu vaccines across the Bexar county population in 2007 and an additional $100,000 in 2008. This allowed an additional 42,000 flu shots to be provided and permissible in a two-year period than what could have been provided by Metro Health alone.
*Senior Outreach: In 2008, WellMed partnered with the City of San Antonio's department of Community Initiatives to offer free flu shot clinics at more than 30 events around the San Antonio area, most of which occurred at senior nutrition centers. In 2009, the Foundation funded a campaign promoting free flu shots for seniors that are bound to their homes and to make them aware of various social services available through the City of San Antonio.
*Elvira Cisneros Senior Community Center by WellMed: In Fall 2008, a senior center was opened in South San Antonio for all seniors 60 years and over in the Greater San Antonio area. The center is named after the mother of former Mayor Henry Cisneros, who is listed in the Texas Women's Hall of Fame. The community center features exercise equipment and programs, dance and yoga classes, a health station, as well as low cost meals provided through a partnership with the City of San Antonio's Department of Community Initiatives.
*Bienestar: The WellMed Charitable Foundation and the Blake, Kymberly and George Rapier Charitable Trust are funding a three-year, $750,000 program to reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes in the South San Antonio Independent School District. The program works with 18,000 students, teachers, food service staff and parents from South San Antonio, focusing on increasing daily exercise and consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grain products.
*Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe: The Foundation along with the Blake, Kymberly and George Rapier Charitable Trust awarded a $61,000 grant in 2007 to El Paso-based La Fe. La Fe operates a comprehensive community wellness network that includes senior programs, a prep school, after-school care, parent education and health clinics that provide medical and dental services to poor, largely minority communities.
*The GIVE Program: WellMed employees are encouraged to give back to the communities in which they work and live. The GIVE program allows employees to directly contribute to Foundation support charities through deductions from their payroll.

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