HMO'S PATIENTS RATE AREA DOCTORS.

Byline: Ben Sullivan Daily News Staff Writer

In what it calls a move to empower patients, one of the state's largest health maintenance organizations released a report card Thursday on the physician groups that treat its members.

The good news, said Woodland Hills-based Health Net, is that overall scores have risen significantly since the first time the HMO compiled such a study last year. The bad news is that the gap between the best and worst plans remains wide.

Locally, HMO members treated by UCLA Medical Group physicians were most satisfied overall in areas such as the thoroughness of the physical exams they received, the skill of their doctors and their access to specialty care. Those at the Henry Mayo Newhall Family Medical Group, meanwhile, appeared dissatisfied with much, and just slightly more than 59 percent said they would recommend the group to a friend or a relative.

To compile the report, Health Net interviewed 550,000 members and asked them to rate their physician groups in 28 categories. The bulk of the plans emerged with a middle-of-the-road, four-star rating, which reflects how well a physician group stacks up with groups in the same region.

Because most physician groups contract with several HMOs, the report's authors say their findings could benefit more than Health Net members, as when a physician group tries to be more responsive to patients as a result of the report card. ``They're not going to improve their processes only for Health Net but for the whole membership in that medical group,'' said Antonio Legorreta, vice president for quality initiatives at the HMO.

Legorreta said that, in addition to encouraging members to use the report card when picking a doctor, Health Net uses the data when negotiating annual contracts with the physician groups. A top-rated group can receive up to 5 percent more in per-patient payments than one that scores below average.

``We're aligning the financial incentives of medical groups with the results of the report card,'' Legorreta said.

For their part, physician groups said the report is generally on the mark.

``Health Net did a fairly good job,'' said Thomas Gordon, chief executive of Cedars-Sinai Medical Delivery Network, which manages groups that received three-, four- and five-star ratings.

When their employers hand them a list from which to choose a physician, ``employees are usually lost,'' Gordon said. Report cards can provide a starting point, he said.

HOW THEY RATE

Woodland Hills-based Health Net, one of California's largest HMOs, Thursday released its second annual report card on local physician groups based on member survey responses.

ABOVE AVERAGE

PHYSICIAN GROUP DOCTOR OFFICES

Cedars-Sinai Medical Care

Foundation/MGBH Inc. Encino, Hollywood, Tarzana

Family Health Care Medical Group Camarillo, Thousand Oaks,

West Hills

HealthCare Partners Medical Group Camarillo, Glendale, Pasadena,

Thousand Oaks, West Hills

UCLA Medical Group Sherman Oaks

AVERAGE

PHYSICIAN GROUP DOCTOR OFFICES

Community Medical Group

of the West Valley Agoura, Tarzana, West Hills

Facey Medical Group Northridge, Porter Ranch, Valencia

Huntington Provider Group Canoga Park, Glendale,

Verdugo Hills, West Hills

Lakeside Medical Group IPA Inc. Burbank, Encino, North Hills,

Panorama City, Tarzana, Van Nuys

Noble Community Medical Association Agoura Hills, Canoga Park, Encino,

Granada Hills, North Hollywood,

Panorama City, Reseda,

San Fernando, Tarzana, Van Nuys

BELOW AVERAGE

PHYSICIAN GROUP DOCTOR OFFICES

Cedars-Sinai Medical Care

Foundation/GVMG Inc. Mission Hills

Friendly Hills Healthcare Network Burbank, Canoga, Granada Hills,

North Hollywood, Pasadena

Henry Mayo Newhall Family

Medical Center Canyon Country, Newhall, Valencia

Mullikin Medical Center Burbank, Canoga Park, Northridge

SOURCE: Health Net; Foundation Health Systems International

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BOX: HOW THEY RATE (See text)