Marion Pediatrics Shines with Five Patient Experience Awards

(September 2025)

When Barbra Rabson, MHQP’s President and CEO, read the list of award winners at MHQP’s Annual Patient Experience Awards Celebration earlier this year, she had to take a deep breath before reading the awards for Marion Pediatrics. That’s because Marion Pediatrics received awards in five categories — for Patient-Provider Communications, Empowering Patient Self Care, How Well Providers Know Their Patients, Pediatric Preventive Care and Assessment of Child Development.

This means Marion Pediatrics was ranked among the three highest pediatric practices in the state in all five categories by patients responding to MHQP’s annual Statewide Patient Experience Survey. Not since MHQP began giving out these awards in 2018 has a pediatric practice achieved such a distinction.

This performance stands out at a time when primary care practices are under tremendous strain due to shrinking resources, staff shortages, and persistent access challenges — and the state has taken tangible steps to begin to address its primary care crisis. What’s their secret?

“I’m not sure we’re doing things that much different from any other practice,” says Dr. Saba Shamoon-Michaud (known to her friends and colleagues as “See-Ba”), the owner of the practice. “Maybe we just do the little things a little better.”

Marion Pediatrics is a small, independent practice affiliated with the Pediatric Physicians’ Organization at Children’s (PPOC). It was established over 30 years ago in Marion, Massachusetts, and has since moved to nearby Fairhaven. Dr. Shamoon-Michaud joined the practice in 1999, then became a co-partner, and is now the sole owner of the practice.

A focus on “the little things” seems to be the modus operandi for the entire staff.

“We firmly believe that our successes come from the intentional choices we’ve made as a practice,” said Dr. Cynthia Fox during the virtual awards ceremony. “We prioritize patient care and satisfaction over maximizing visit volume and revenue. This philosophy shapes everything that we do.”

When Dr. Fox said these words, she was surrounded by nearly the entire practice staff who were assembled in her office to celebrate their accomplishment — a strong indication of the comradery and team focus that permeate the practice.

“Our success is not just about visit length but about the entire patient experience,” continued Dr. Fox. “It’s a whole group effort. Patients and families come to us when they’re very vulnerable. They’re tired, they’re worried about their newborn, they’re seeking guidance. Our goal is to provide medical care, but also to make them feel supported and empowered. That care starts the moment they walk through our doors. We have a phenomenal, warm, respectful, efficient front office staff who welcome the families and set the tone for the entire visit. And our kind and knowledgeable and very fun medical assistants ensure a smooth and enjoyable visit. Every member of our staff is an extension of all of our providers — because pediatric care isn’t just what happens in the exam room with the provider; it is every step along the way.

“At the heart of all of this is communication and respect,” Dr. Fox summarizes. “We have respect for our team and respect for our patients. Because of the time we take to listen and support and collaborate, we create an environment in which exceptional care can thrive.”

Dr. Shamoon-Michaud believes excellent patient experiences are key to effective clinical care and better outcomes.

“My number one goal as a clinician is always to make sure I’ve done the right thing for my patients medically,” she says. “But in order for that to happen, the family needs to feel heard and seen and understood and safe to ask questions…and they need trust you, which builds over time. The experience piece helps the medical piece.”

Above everything else, Marion’s success seems to boil down to a bottom-up philosophy of treating staff and clinicians the way they want to see their patients treated.

“It’s such a huge thing to be respectful of the people who work for you,” says Dr. Shamoon-Michaud. “I want our staff to feel welcomed and taken care of and respected.”

Patty Shaw, Marion Pediatrics’ long-time office manager, agrees that a collaborative approach helps drive their success.

“It’s all about the team,” Shaw says. “I’m always asking them: What do you guys think of this? What should we do? Does anybody have a better idea? It’s a very healthy, positive environment for our staff and for our patients.”