How Southern Pediatrics is expanding access to care

For Stephen Nash, Co-founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Southern Pediatrics in Tennessee, growth has never been an end in itself. It is a response to a larger problem: too many children lack access to the comprehensive care they need early in life. We spoke with Nash about how Southern Pediatrics is building an integrated pediatric care model designed to expand access, support overburdened providers, and create healthier outcomes for children and families.

Q: What is the mission of Southern Pediatrics, and what are you trying to build?

A: Our mission is to accelerate access to comprehensive pediatric care so that all children have the opportunity to thrive. We believe too many children do not receive the healthcare they deserve, and too few pediatric providers receive the dedicated support that they need.

To address this, we are focused on building a comprehensive primary pediatric care model that not only supports children and families, but also supports the providers delivering that care. The goal is to make it easier for care teams to deliver high quality, integrated pediatric care in a way that is sustainable over time.

Q: What drove the decision to partner with athenahealth?

A: When we were evaluating options, we considered a range of factors. The most important question was which system would allow us to achieve our mission and bring our long-term vision to life.

We were not just looking for a solution that works today; we needed one that could grow and evolve alongside what we were building as an organization. Supporting pediatricians was a major part of that decision, especially given the high rates of burnout in pediatrics.

We wanted a system that could better support providers over time and adapt to future needs. [athenahealth's athenaOne®] stood out across many dimensions as a platform that could help us do that.

We also wanted a system that could provide families a modern, engaging experience that they expect. athena’s patient portal, online scheduling, and communication capabilities all stood out.

Q: How does athenahealth help you bring an integrated pediatric care model to life?

A: We're trying to do something different in pediatrics, especially when it comes to integrating mental and behavioral health into primary care. While this idea has been discussed for decades, actually making it work day to day is much harder.

athenahealth gives us the capabilities to turn that model into something real by supporting collaboration across disciplines, helping clinicians work together efficiently, and making charting less burdensome. From an operational standpoint, it also gives us clearer ownership across teams and shared visibility into how work is being done, which is essential when you're building an integrated model at scale. Together, that makes it possible to deliver the kind of comprehensive care we believe all children deserve.

Q: What were your past experiences like with other systems before making the switch?

A: Before athenaOne, I worked with many different systems, and unfortunately those experiences were often frustrating. A lot of platforms look appealing on the surface, but once you dig in they can become difficult to use in practice. Basic things like a functioning patient portal, reliable appointment reporting, or responsive support were frequently missing.

What mattered most was not the inconvenience to leadership, but how these issues affected care teams every day. When systems are hard to use, they pull providers away from patients and make it harder to focus on the parts of medicine that actually bring them joy.

Over time, that friction really impacts frontline teams, and that was something we were determined to avoid as we built Southern Pediatrics.

Q: What surprised you about the transition and onboarding experience?

A: Even when you’re coming from a system that isn’t working well, the transition itself is still challenging. There’s always a learning curve with any new platform.

What surprised me was how quickly our team worked through that transition with [athenaOne]. Within a couple of weeks, we were back to full volume and already starting to see the benefits of the system we had chosen. That early progress made a meaningful difference and helped reinforce confidence in the move sooner than we had expected.

Q: What progress have you been able to make toward your goals since building on this new foundation?

A: Since putting the right foundation in place, we have been able to make real progress toward the goals that matter most to us: delivering the highest possible quality of care to children and serving the families in our communities the best we can.

One of the most meaningful changes has been reducing the documentation burden on our providers. With more than 300 prepopulating, pediatric-specific encounters available, our clinicians can chart by exception. This has significantly decreased charting time and allowed them to focus more of their energy on patient care.

We've also made important progress in preventive care, particularly around well-child visits. Tracking which children are overdue is challenging in many systems, but improved workflows, reminders, and automated communication have made this process more reliable for us.

As a result, we’re seeing many more children visit their pediatrician on schedule, which is a critical step in supporting healthier outcomes and building a strong foundation for long term well-being.

Q: As you look ahead, what matters most as you continue to grow Southern Pediatrics?

A: What matters most is staying true to why we started our company in the first place. Our goal has always been to create healthier communities by making sure children have access to comprehensive, preventive care early in life.

That means continuing to expand access in underserved areas, while also making sure pediatricians have the support they need to sustain their work.

Growth only works when it is supported by systems and partners that help us deliver better care, not more complexity. We’re focused on building a model where providers can spend more time with patients, where care teams can collaborate effectively, and where we can continue to improve outcomes for children as we grow.