Kurt Merkelz, M.D., is the senior vice president and chief medical officer for Compassus. He served as medical director for Compassus in Houston, Texas, before moving to the Brentwood headquarters in 2017.
Dr. Merkelz leads the company’s quality and clinical initiatives, ensuring the delivery of quality patient outcomes and increased access to end-of-life care in all our services.
Throughout his career, Dr. Merkelz has focused on caring for older adults. His perseverance in raising industry benchmarks for quality hospice care earned him the R. Sean Morrison, M.D., Award for Outstanding Achievement in Hospice Physician Leadership.
“For me, the progression of my career towards end-of-life care has always been centered on a common thread of helping care for the underserved,” Merkelz said. “From my international work to caring for the elderly and now focusing on end-of-life care, I believe each group represents marginalized communities requiring unique resources and care processes.”
He received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center and completed residencies in family medicine and geriatric medicine at the University of Cincinnati. Following his residency at the University of Cincinnati, he became assistant director of the international health program.
Dr. Merkelz is triple-board certified in hospice and palliative care medicine, family practice, and geriatrics.
