ذكذكتسئµ Partners with Blueberry Pediatrics to Bring 24/7 Virtual Pediatric Care to Medicaid Families across southeast Texas

New collaboration brings enhanced pediatric care and the tools to diagnose and treat children from home

ذكذكتسئµ, a local nonprofit managed care organization serving more than 454,000 members, and Blueberry Pediatrics announced a partnership to offer 24/7 virtual pediatric care to ذكذكتسئµ Medicaid members and their families.

ذكذكتسئµ serves a large and diverse Medicaid population across southeast Texas, where families often face persistent barriers to timely care, including scheduling delays, long wait times, and limited after-hours availability. As a result, many families rely on urgent care or the emergency room for conditions that could be treated in more convenient, lower-cost settings.

To address this gap, ذكذكتسئµ is expanding pediatric care beyond traditional clinical settings and into the home through a new collaboration with Blueberry Pediatrics.

Blueberry Pediatrics provides 24/7 virtual care with board-certified pediatricians through secure messaging, video, and audio visits available in English and Spanish. The service is supported by in-home diagnostic tools that enable real clinical assessment from home. Every enrolled family receives a Blueberry medical kit, which includes a digital otoscope (earscope), pulse oximeter, and thermometer. These tools allow physicians to safely diagnose and treat a wide range of common childhood illnesses without requiring an in-person visit. Together, this combination of virtual care and at-home diagnostics helps families access pediatric care by giving them a convenient, cost-effective alternative to urgent care or emergency room visits.

“ذكذكتسئµ is committed to improving access to care for the families we serve across Southeast Texas,â€‌ said Darrin Johnson, Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer at ذكذكتسئµ. “Our partnership with Blueberry Pediatrics expands our ability to deliver timely, high-quality pediatric care in a way that is convenient, accessible, and responsive to the real needs of our Members.â€‌

By addressing the gap between when children get sick and when care is available, the Blueberry model helps reduce avoidable emergency department utilization and lower costs while improving the overall experience for families. Instead of waiting days for an appointment or rearranging schedules and missing work, parents can connect with a pediatrician immediately and get answers in real time.

“Too often, families are forced into high-cost settings simply because they can’t access care at the right time,â€‌ said Rich Berner, Chief Executive Officer of Blueberry Pediatrics. “We are privileged to be working with ذكذكتسئµ to change that by giving families in southeast Texas immediate access to pediatricians who can diagnose and treat a sick child in real time, from home. This, in turn, reduces costs for the plan in reduced ED use.â€‌

The partnership reflects a shared commitment to improving access, reducing avoidable costs, and delivering high-quality care for Medicaid families across Texas.

Eligible ذكذكتسئµ members with children up to 19 years old residing outside of Harris County will have access to Blueberry as part of their benefits during the initial rollout phase.

About ذكذكتسئµ

ذكذكتسئµ (ذكذكتسئµ) is a non-profit 501(c)(4) managed care organization licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance, serving the local community. Established in 1997 and based in Houston, Texas, ذكذكتسئµ provides affordable and no-cost health insurance plans for Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Plans (CHIP), STAR+PLUS Texas Medicaid for adults age 65 or older or adults with disabilities, Dual Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) for eligible individuals who have both Medicare and Medicaid, and the Health Insurance Marketplace, to more than 454,000 residents of Texas. Committed to its mission, ذكذكتسئµ aims to improve the health and well-being of underserved Texans by opening doors to coordinated, high-quality, affordable health care and health-related social services. ذكذكتسئµ is URAC and NCQA accredited. For further information, visit ذكذكتسئµHealthChoice.org.

About Blueberry Pediatrics

Blueberry Pediatrics provides 24/7 virtual pediatric care delivered by board-certified pediatricians using in-home diagnostic tools that enable real clinical assessment from anywhere. Blueberry partners with health plans to expand access, reduce avoidable emergency department utilization, lower costs, and improve health outcomes for children and their families.

ذكذكتسئµ Recognized with Two 2025 Press Ganey Pinnacle of Excellence Awards

We are proud to announce that ذكذكتسئµ has received two 2025 Press Ganey Pinnacle of Excellence Awards, recognizing outstanding performance based on member experience data. These honors distinguish health plans that rank among the top performers nationwide in CAHPSآ® results.

The awards recognize ذكذكتسئµ for:

• Exceptional Doctors and Quality of Care CAHPS Ratings, and
  
  
• Outstanding Plan Services CAHPS Ratings across our HMO and CHIP+STAR service lines.
  
  

The Pinnacle of Excellence distinction is based entirely on member feedback. These results reflect how individuals experience care and service in real moments—during appointments, phone calls, and interactions that shape trust and satisfaction over time.

Achieving this level of performance requires consistent effort across the organization. From frontline staff and care teams to provider partners and operational leaders, these results reflect a shared focus on responsiveness, accountability, and respect for the communities we support.

Member feedback plays a central role in how ذكذكتسئµ improves our services. By listening closely and working collaboratively with partners, we continuously refine how care is delivered to better meet the needs of our Members

This recognition reflects the dedication of both our team and the Members who shared their experiences. As we move into the year ahead, these awards reaffirm our commitment to advancing quality, strengthening partnerships, and delivering care with purpose.

ذكذكتسئµ extends sincere thanks to our Members, providers, and employees whose efforts made this achievement possible.