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Pediatric Diagnostic Associates Will Continue Serving Families As A Practice Independent Of CHI Memorial

Pediatric Diagnostic Associates, which was previously associated with CHI Memorial Hospital, announced Thursday it will again become an independent practice under newly formed Scenic City Pediatrics PLLC.

Effective Feb. 1, the medical group will enter a new contract with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, including Networks P and S, among other insurers, according to a news release.

The change follows a June decision on BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee's behalf to terminate its contract with Memorial relating to its Network S customers.

Managing Partner Dr. Tony Friddell said in a phone interview Pediatric Diagnostic Associates has been under the CHI Memorial umbrella as a managed practice within the hospital system for 28 years.

In some shape or form, Pediatric Diagnostic Associates has provided care for families in and around Chattanooga for close to 100 years, Friddell said. The unit is on its third generation of families and even the fourth in some cases, having been around since its inception in 1930.

"To continue to let those families know that PDA will be here to take care of their kids and their grandkids and great-grandkids, I think that's our mission and our purpose," he said.

In a news release, Friddell said Pediatric Diagnostic Associates is thrilled to take a step forward as an independent practice.

"Our primary goal has always been to provide the best possible care for our young patients in Chattanooga, and this move allows us to do so with renewed focus on our community's needs," he said.

(READ MORE: More than 10,000 members on BlueCross Network S to experience changes following Memorial hospital contract termination)

Services

Serves patients from birth through 21 years

– Well-child visits

– Vaccinations

– Acute illness care

– Chronic disease management

Source: Pediatric Diagnostic Associates

As an independent practice, Friddell said that Pediatric Diagnostic Associates can tailor everything it does to children instead of viewing the world through the hospital system and the lens of adult medicine and family practice.

"Every decision we make, everything we do, will be geared toward how to best take care of children today and five years from today, 10 years from today, so that we can have the legacy that we've always had," he said.

REASONS FOR TRANSITION

Friddell said the practitioners felt it was time to embark on their own to see what was out there after the contract termination between BlueCross and Memorial.

"I think it's a hard thing for the hospital," he said. "I think everybody, because we go through this every three years, I think it was kind of a hard thing for us to accept that this time, it didn't work out where BlueCross and the hospital could come to some type of arrangement."

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In-network insurers

– BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee – Networks P and S

– Memorial Health Services Inc.

– BlueCare Tennessee

– Cigna

– United Healthcare

– Aetna

Source: Pediatric Diagnostic Associates

Friddell said the change impacted internal medicine across the board.

"The hospital was unable to reach an agreement with BlueCross BlueShield, the Network S patients, which in the pediatric world – in our world – affected a fair size of our practice," he said. "We felt like we owed it to the patients to be able to continue to see them the way we had seen them all these years."

The younger families that comprise the group's clientele often have Network S insurance, Friddell said.

"The percentage of patients that we have were enrolled in the Network S plan for BlueCross BlueShield, was a higher number than some of the other groups in the CHI Memorial Medical Group," he said. "So, it just felt like it was the best thing for us and for our patients to continue to be able to see those people."

(READ MORE: Why dental care is so challenging for patients with disabilities in Tennessee)

Memorial has done a great job of helping to make a huge transition as smooth and seamless as possible, preventing a disruption of care for patients at Pediatric Diagnostic Associates, Friddell said.

"We still continue to work with the hospital," Friddell said. "The hospital has been very gracious as we've gone through this process of coming out into our own. We'll continue to partner with the hospital in ways to help the medical community of Chattanooga as a whole."

Janelle Reilly, Memorial's market president, said via email that Pediatric Diagnostic Associate's dedication, compassion and expertise have earned it the community's deep respect and affection.

"CHI Memorial deeply appreciates their contributions and is pleased that a strong, collaborative relationship will continue," she said. "We respect Pediatric Diagnostic Associates' decision to pursue independence and are committed to ensuring a seamless transition for patients."

The group has two locations and eight providers in downtown Chattanooga and East Brainerd, according to a news release. Pediatricians, nurses and support staff work to provide comprehensive care.

The practice will now be in-network with insurers including United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna and more.

Contact Leah Hunter at lhunter@timesfreepress.Com or 423-757-6673.

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