Media contacts:
Taylor Gage, Governor’s Office, 402-471-1970
Barb Tyler, Department of Health and Human Services, 402-471-3486
Press release:
gov. Ricketts Presents 2021 Medicaid Provider Awards
From left: (DHHS CEO Dannette R. Smith, DHHS Director of Medicaid and Long-Term Care
Kevin Bagley, Dr. Sami Webb, Gov. Ricketts, Dr. Paula Harre)
LINCOLN – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts; Dannette R. Smith, CEO of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); and Kevin Bagley, director of the DHHS division of Medicaid and long-term care, honored four physicians with Nebraska Medicaid Provider awards. The awards recognize outstanding providers within Heritage Health Adult, Nebraska’s Medicaid program.
“The winners of the Nebraska Medicaid Provider Awards delivered great customer service and responsibly managed taxpayer money,” said Governor Ricketts. “They help realize DHHS’s mission to help Nebraskans live better lives. Thank you to each of the award winners for helping us improve service to the people of Nebraska.”
gov. Ricketts awarded one winner from each of the Managed Care Organization (MCO) and Dental Plan networks. The MCOs are UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Nebraska, Nebraska Total Care, Healthy Blue of Nebraska, and MCNA Dental. Award winners were selected for demonstrating exceptional care to the Medicaid population and making measurable contributions during the pandemic through their clinical practice. The winners were nominated from each of their respective organizations.
“We are immensely grateful to our Medicaid providers who are helping their fellow Nebrascans live better lives,” said Director Bagley. “During a difficult year, these providers went out of their way to provide excellent service to our Medicaid members. These awards recognize their contributions to the Medicaid program and their commitment to improving the health of their communities.”
The winners of the Nebraska Medicaid Provider Awards are:
Dr Kris McVea: Honorably nominated by Healthy Blue of Nebraska, Dr. McVea is passionate about the patients that both she and her team care for. Her suggestions and input have been invaluable not only at OneWorld in Omaha, where she serves as medical director, but also as an advocate for all Medicaid members in Nebraska. dr. McVea has been an active member of her MCO Quality Improvement Committee, and she has also led her team in pursuing quality metrics and goals for her clinics. Her dedicated approach combines her education in pediatrics and epidemiology/public health. dr. McVea uses data to drive quality health outcomes, but her dedication to caring for her patients is where she thrives. During the coronavirus pandemic, she helped drive-through immunization clinics on site at OneWorld. She also helped her team nimbly transition to telemedicine visits at short notice to meet members’ needs.
dr. McVea received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her medical degree with honors from UNMC. She then received her MPH in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina. She is currently a Graduate Faculty Member at the University of Nebraska Graduate College in Omaha. Last year, she received both the Public Citizen of the Year from the National Association of Social Workers, Nebraska Chapter, and the Distinguished Service to Medicine from the Nebraska Medical Association.
dr. John Tubbs: Nebraska Total Care (NTC) identified Dr. John Tubbs of Stuart, NE, as the nominee for the Governor’s Medicaid Award. dr. Tubbs graduated from Ross University School of Medicine and completed his residency in Family Medicine at Creighton University School of Medicine. After completing his residency in 2002, Dr. Tubbs practice at Midtown Family Practice in Omaha. In 2005, he and his wife Erica chose to move to northeast Nebraska to provide medical care to a more rural population. They have clinics in Stuart, Atkinson and Bassett and enjoy the opportunity to continue to bring quality medicine to the communities.
dr. Tubbs is the winner of the NTC 2020 Physician Summit Award, which is presented to a physician within the organization’s nationwide network. The award honors the provider who achieved the highest quality scores for health effectiveness data and information sets (HEDIS) across multiple key measures. dr. Tubbs has been a provider in the NTC network since the plan began on January 1, 2017, and he has demonstrated a commitment to providing quality services and meeting the nationwide health needs of Medicaid members in his communities.
dr. Erica Peterson: Nominated by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, Dr. Peterson is a pediatrician for Bluestem Health in Lincoln, where she has been a caregiver since January 2012. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Lancaster County Medical Society. dr. Peterson received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and completed medical school at Duke University School of Medicine in 2000, with an emphasis on internal medicine and pediatrics. dr. Peterson also holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina.
dr. Peterson has served on the National Association of County and City Health Officials Grantee for Breastfeeding Education and Support and served on the board of directors of Lancaster County Medical Society for six years.
dr. Peterson is an advocate for the Reach Out and Read program, which advocates for the positive effects of daily reading and participating in other language-rich activities with young children. dr. Peterson worked with the Lincoln Public Libraries and other donors to secure funding and books for pediatric patient populations. dr. Peterson implemented the Pediatric Vision Screening tools to help identify vision problems in infants and children before they are identified by the parents.
dr. Peterson is committed to providing parents with information and connecting them with local resources related to development promotion, early detection and connection to community resources; This has enabled families to better understand developmental delays. She firmly believes that the use of electronic health records (EHR) leads to better health outcomes. The data helped improve HPV vaccine numbers for boys and girls at Bluestem Health clinics.
dr. Peterson has worked with collaborators to use behavioral screening tools to identify postpartum depression, showing that early identification gives pediatricians the greatest opportunity to interact personally with the child and mother to screen appropriately and provide the most appropriate care.
Dr. Sami Webb: Nominated by MCNA Insurance, Dr. Webb is the only full-time orthodontist in Western Nebraska to participate in the Medicaid program. She has been in the Scottsbluff practice for 16 years, providing quality orthodontic care and meeting the unique needs of children enrolled in the Nebraska Medicaid program. After earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dr. Webb received her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry.
A member of the Schulman Group, whose members represent the top two percent of orthodontists practicing in the United States, Dr. Webb recognized on multiple occasions for the growth of the practice and innovative marketing efforts. the steering committee), and accepted the appointment as a member of the board of directors.
Her practice, Webb Orthodontics, currently serves patients from the Elite Health Center, a state-of-the-art medical office complex that includes multiple dental and medical specialties and other businesses. As a community leader, Dr. Webb is deeply committed to giving back to others, both personally and through her practice, helping Webb Orthodontics work with organizations and key community stakeholders. Since its inception, the practice of Dr. Webb gave $500,000 in sponsorships and donations to empower and support her community. She and her team at Webb Orthodontics are looking for opportunities to volunteer their time helping nonprofit groups and partner with schools in the area to provide job shadow and internship opportunities for young adults interested in the dental profession. They also participate in community events and provide free dental care and services to those in need. dr. Webb’s focus on community service and support, and her continued commitment to serving those enrolled in Nebraska Medicaid, enable her to positively impact the lives of her patients, their families, and her community.
The full video of today’s award ceremony is available by clicking here.
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