Out West: Lubbock GI Practice in Lubbock
By Kaley Johnson
When you think of Cook Children’s Medical Center, you might picture the Fort Worth campus. But the Cook Children’s family stretches far beyond Dallas-Fort Worth. Across Texas, dedicated teams are an essential part of Cook Children’s mission to improve the well-being of as many children as possible.
In August, Cook Children’s welcomed such a group into our family, made up of a dedicated group of medical professionals who have a deep commitment to care. A partnership was forged between Covenant Children’s Hospital and Cook Children's to open a Cook Children’s Gastroenterology Practice in Lubbock, Texas.
“Cook Children’s has been committed to West Texas for many years. As a result we have collaborated closely with Covenant Children’s Hospital,” said Robert Goodwill, Senior Vice President and COO for CCPN. “As they strive to improve access to specialty care in the area, we were a natural match to help. Our gastroenterologists in Fort Worth were very familiar with the physicians in Lubbock and knew they would be a great addition to the network.”
While Covenant Children’s Hospital was already providing exemplary care in Lubbock, the creation of the Lubbock GI clinic further extended that care to children in the area, allowing them to obtain specialized medical care in their own community. Cook Children’s added an additional physician to the GI clinic, bringing the total number up to four, and the existing Lubbock team officially transitioned to CCPN.
“The collaboration between Covenant and Cook reinforces our dedication to the West Texas community,” Veronica Tolley, Vice President for the Physician Network, said. “It complements the access our Regional Clinics have been providing for many years to cities outside of the Metroplex, where pediatric specialty care may be limited and difficult to reach.”
Debbie Schoor, RN, who is the Clinical Coordinator, has been in practice with the physicians at the Lubbock clinic for 21 years. She said the transition had its challenges, but the tight-knit, 16-person team worked through it together. She applauded the physicians for the excellent care they have provided, and continue to provide, to the Lubbock community.
Lynn Copelin, Practice Manager at the Lubbock clinic, said the change has been a positive one for the community.
“Most everyone in this area knows who Cook Children’s is, and unless you have been hiding under one of our West Texas tumbleweeds, you know the reputation that comes with working for and receiving care from such an outstanding organization dedicated to the specific care of our children,” said Lynn, who has been with the clinic since September 2023 and has worked in the GI field for eight years.
One positive change Debbie and Lynn said they have seen at the clinic is the use of surveys sent to patients and their families. The comments patients leave gives clinic staff insight into the patient experience and the physicians take great pride in the positive feedback.
Patients said in survey they appreciated physicians (as pictured above left to right) Robert Simek, M.D., Jim Higgins, M.D., Mark Feist, M.D., and Michael Foreman, M.D., for their attentiveness and kindness.
Simek, Higgins, Feist, and Foreman
“It was our first time there and everyone treated us like we were family,” one person wrote.
The Lubbock clinic has worked hard to be involved in Cook Children’s events and culture, despite their geographic distance.
The transition hasn’t always been easy, Debbie and Lynn said, and some Cook Children’s staff still don’t seem to know much about their team. The Cook Children’s family may be spread out, but each part plays an integral role in our mission. As the Lubbock clinic continues to provide integral care to West Texas, we thank them for joining our family with enthusiasm and resilience.