Tri-State Child Health Services, Inc., a pediatric provider-hospital organization (PHO) strives to improve the quality of care and outcomes for children in the region through collaboration among community-based physicians, hospital-based physicians and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC).
We are a joint venture of Cincinnati Children’s, Ohio Valley Primary Care Associates (an independent provider association representing 27 practices
and 210+ Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers), and 750+ specialists including independent community specialists and specialists contracted and employed by Cincinnati Children’s. Working together, we are committed to improving the
health of the children and families we serve.
Our Mission
In collaboration with community partners, Tri-State Child Health Services works to provide high quality and cost-effective pediatric care through the use of evidence-based guidelines, quality initiatives, service contracting, and technological integration to make the children of Southwest Ohio, Southeast Indiana and Northern Kentucky among the healthiest in the nation
Identified over 18,000 patients with chronic and chronic-complex conditions allowing our physicians to focus medical care where it is needed most.
Provided our physicians with regional alerts of when their patients are seen in local emergency rooms and urgent cares, as well as admitted to regional hospitals. These alerts ensure patients of continuity of care between the facility and their physician’s office.
Worked with 27 primary care practices to achieve recognition as a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Click here for information on what it means to be a Patient-Centered Medical Home.
Assisted 2 specialty practices to achieve recognition as a Patient Centered Specialty Practice (PCSP) by NCQA.
Implemented evidence-based guidelines for treating children with asthma.
Worked with Cincinnati Children’s Gastroenterology Clinic to develop and implement evidence-based guidelines for treating children with chronic constipation.
Working with Cincinnati Children’s specialists to develop improved treatment protocols to ensure that patient receive the right care in the right setting at the right time. Specifically,
In collaboration with Cincinnati Children’s Psychiatric Services to manage depression in adolescents.
In collaboration with Cincinnati Children’s Neurology to manage primary recurrent headaches (migraines) in children and adolescents
We are also working with Cincinnati Children’s Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology to integrate Behavioral Health specialists into our primary care clinics.
Practices that belong to Tri-State Child Health Services are committed to providing high quality and high value services. Providers have ready access to evidence-based and analytic decision support tools developed in collaboration with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Working together, Tri-State Child Health Services providers deliver high quality, value-driven treatment to all patients.
The network engages member providers in identifying areas of concern within their patient populations. Once identified, Tri-State Child Health Services works with specialists and primary care providers to develop and implement ways of addressing those concerns. The Depression initiative currently underway is an example of this collaboration in action. All provider members of Tri-State Child Health Services screen patients for depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), not just patients who are seen specifically for depression. Providers are also receiving training on how to identify and treat depression when appropriate to decrease the strain placed on behavioral health services within the area. Some providers currently have behavioral health providers in their offices giving patients ready access to help when needed, with the goal of providing appropriate care in the appropriate environment at the appropriate time.
Finally, over half of the member practices belonging to Tri-State Child Health Services are recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as patient-centered medical homes. These practices have made a commitment to put patients at the forefront of care and improve both quality and the patient experience, while reducing health care costs. Practices must demonstrate this commitment annually by submitting data to NCQA supporting team-based care, population health, access to care, care coordination, care management, and quality care. For more information about the importance of the medical home, click American Academy of Pediatrics Medical Home to be taken to the AAP Medical Home site.
In addition to being involved in quality initiatives mentioned above, Tri-State Child Health Services offers practices commercial payor contracting and delegated credentialing for Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers through Cincinnati Children’s Medical Staff Services office for the delegated contracts. We also monitor and address payor trends and issues.
Tri-State Child Health Services offers providers an opportunity to belong to a unified group of healthcare practitioners with a shared mission of patient centered, quality care, while remaining independent of larger health care systems. Working together, our providers can influence how care is delivered within the community by participating in physician-led boards and committees focused on quality and integration of care.
Member practices have access to multi-level layers for quality work, achieving and maintaining NCQA recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), and trend identification within their patient panel and disease registry. Tri-State Child Health Services provides member practices with designated Quality Improvement Specialists, Data Analysts and Community Engagement Specialists who are dedicated to supporting them. Members also have access to evidence-based decision support tools, often developed in collaboration with community primary care pediatricians and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center based specialists.
