Spotlight On: Theresa Scepanski, President & CEO, Community First Health Plans
March 2025 — Theresa Scepanski, president and CEO of Community First Health Plans, spoke with Invest: about the nonprofit’s role in the rapidly growing healthcare sector in San Antonio, and the various services and partnerships that enhance the services it provides to its members and the community.
What makes San Antonio an ideal location for Community First Health Plans?
Community First is proud to be an integral part of San Antonio’s growth. As the seventh largest, and fastest growing city in the US, known for its rich culture, food, and diverse population, San Antonio is an attractive place to live, work, and call home. As a local nonprofit managed care organization, Community First creates a higher quality of life by focusing on our community’s specific needs, such as looking for ways to combat the chronic diseases present in San Antonio’s population. Because we are local, we know where to access healthcare. By partnering with many community healthcare providers, we ensure all our members have access and availability to obtain the services they need. As the only health plan that has a local presence, we can provide personalized service where members can come in, talk to a member services representative, and receive the guidance, information, and services they are looking for. San Antonio is a great tourist destination, known for celebrating large events as a local community. Community First is proud to celebrate its growth as a local managed care organization while contributing to San Antonio’s growing community by improving its health and wellbeing.
What are some of the biggest trends and challenges in the healthcare sector in San Antonio?
Getting an appointment and seeing a physician quickly can be challenging at times, especially with a growing population. Fortunately, there are many healthcare providers that see San Antonio as a great city to relocate and build a successful practice for the long term. At Community First we continuously seek opportunities to partner with these local physician group practices and expand services and access to healthcare, tapping into San Antonio’s significant healthcare ecosystem supporting adults’ and children’s healthcare needs, including a robust primary and specialty care presence. This positive trend allows us to support the ongoing expansion of healthcare services for our growing community.
Community First Health Plans recently earned a 4-star NCQA rating. What initiatives and strategies do you attribute to this recognition?
At Community First, we put quality first. Achieving a 4-star NCQA rating is a result of streamlining our processes with a focus on quality, engaging members in managing their own health to achieve better outcomes and partnering with local community-based organizations to address broader needs that contribute to overall well-being, such as food insecurity, and wellness activities.
How are you capitalizing on the growth of the region to grow your memberships with additions of new plans or incentives for members?
We’re a health plan for every generation. From newborns all the way to Medicare senior citizens, we provide services to all walks of life and all age groups. We continue to introduce Community First Health Plans to our community by participating in many different health related activities and events to support current memberships and potential new memberships. We want to ensure that everyone in San Antonio can learn about the services we offer. Our branding and marketing tell a great story.
What is your take on the accessibility of healthcare in regards to cost, and how are you helping your members navigate these challenges?
Cost is always a factor when individuals consider their health plan options. We offer affordable, low-cost plans in the marketplace with various incentives that individuals can access by selecting our health plan options. Our team is always available to answer questions to ensure the community understands what options are available and how to maximize all the different benefits available to them by enrolling in one of our plans. We encourage individuals to learn as much as they can about their health plan, benefits, and how to stay healthy using incentives that are offered.
For Medicaid, while there is no cost to the member, they must qualify for the program by going through a state application process, which is something we can assist with.
How are you incorporating innovations technology to enhance member services and improve healthcare outcomes and efficiencies for your teams?
Technology is critical to the success of our organization in improving healthcare outcomes and efficiencies for our teams. We offer mobile apps and portals so our members can easily review their benefits and incentives and have many secure electronic and digital entry points to ensure members have easy access and readily accessible information. Internally, we use AI and other digital systems to streamline and become more efficient, reducing unnecessary costs, ensuring our providers are paid timely for their services and that our staff is working efficiently.
Could you expand on the community engagement efforts, and are there any collaborations to enhance workforce development?
Maintaining a strong local presence in San Antonio is a priority, as we compete with many healthcare organizations for the same clinicians and support staff. We offer an excellent work environment for our staff who are dedicated to serving the needs of our community. Unlike many managed care organizations, we work in the office daily, fostering a unique culture that allows employees to engage, celebrate milestones, and develop their careers. We offer excellent career growth opportunities through continuing education and skill development to ensure our employees have opportunities to grow.
What is your outlook for Community First Health Plans, and what are your top goals for the next two to three years?
At Community First, our top priority is continuing to grow membership in our Medicare and marketplace products. We want to continue the growth of the last few years, expanding the services we offer our membership, and ensuring that we continue to support the health and wellness of our community.
For more information, please visit:
