Docs lauded.

Twelve Los Angeles County physician groups were recognized last week by the Integrated Healthcare Association's Pay for Performance program, which ranked the groups on the quality of their preventive care and chronic care management, patient satisfaction, and use of information technology to support patient management and care.

Seven major health plans--Aetna Healthcare of California, Blue Cross of California, Blue Shield of California, CIGNA HealthCare of California, Health Net of California, PacifiCare of California, and Western Health Advantage--participate in the association's initiative by rewarding participating physicians with incentive payments.

Honorees included HealthCare Partners Medical Group, UCLA Medical Group, Cedars-Sinai Medical Group, and Facey Medical Foundation. The remaining six were from Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Permanente Medical Group practices in Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, Baldwin Park and Bellflower, Panorama, South Bay/Harbor City and Woodland Hills. A Kaiser spokesman said it was the first time it had entered the competition and that the practices at all 12 of its Southern California medical centers had made the cut.

Integrated Healthcare reported across-the-board improvements last year by physician groups on its evidence-based clinical care measures. Compared to 2004, for example, physician groups reported that they screened about 60,000 more women for cervical cancer, tested nearly 12,000 more individuals for diabetes, and administered approximately 30,000 more childhood immunizations.

Staff reporter Deborah Crowe can be reached at [phone], ext. 232, or at [e-mail].