Dr. Summer Merritt never intended to introduce a new kind of medical practice to Midland, or go into business for herself, or even stay in West Texas.

"I thought I would practice medicine (in Midland) for a few years, and then go back to Dallas," Merritt said. That was before a patient told her about the concierge physician she used while living part time in California. Merritt would take a full year to research the idea of concierge medicine before deciding to open her own practice in March of 2011.

During her year of research, Merritt talked to other physicians who were practicing concierge medicine, read blogs and journal articles. Out of all the information she gathered, Merritt began to form a plan for her own kind of practice which would be "a hybrid of several types of concierge medicine." Rather than working through HMOs, Medicare and insurance, Merritt's customers directly pay an annual fee to keep her on retainer. Merritt also limits the number of her clients, which allows her to spend more time with each patient than doctors in traditional practices. "The big thing is I am more available...Patients feel they have more time and relationship, and the physician becomes their healthcare advocate," Merritt explained.

"I had previously been employed in group settings for three years, but I wanted to try out a different type of practice," Merritt said. In medical school she had been told that practicing medicine would be about personal interaction with patients and attending to their well-being. Once Merritt began practicing medicine, though, she realized that the patient loads she was expected to maintain prohibited her from spending enough time with her patients. "The way traditional medicine is set up, doctors normally have...seven minutes of personal contact with each patient."

The solution for Merritt, and many like her, was to change the way she practiced medicine. Concierge medicine is a trend that is, according to Merritt, about 800 practitioners strong nationwide. Doctors and patients are both unsatisfied with the current medical system and are quickly migrating away from traditional medicine. Merritt's practice has grown more quickly than she expected; her practice is full and she is working with a waiting list.

Although Merritt has seen that there is a demand for this kind of practice in West Texas, she is unsure about expanding her practice. "I haven't determined if I'm going to add another physician or keep it like it is." Merritt presently has only one employee, which helps her keep overhead low and maintain a very personal atmosphere. If she does add a doctor to her practice, Merritt said, it wouldn't be soon, but it is difficult for her to know if it will happen at all.

Merritt attributes her success, at least in part, to the peculiarly innovative and fiercely independent attitude of West Texans. "Business people in West Texas appreciate innovation and different ideas," Merritt said. Midland is a particularly good place for concierge medicine, she explained, because from her home she can get to the hospital in two minutes and to any client's house in less than 30 minutes.

For Merritt, Midland has the additional appeal of being a good place to raise her son, and her patients have become a part of the family. "I take my son to house visits, and the patients get disappointed when he's not there," she said. This kind of personal success is what drives Merritt, and the idea of concierge medicine, while professional success comes second.

The motivation behind Merritt's concierge practice has, from the outset, been caring for patients. The idea of concierge medicine is to treat the whole person and focus on wellness, rather than simply treating patients once they become sick. For Merritt, the individual, rather than the sickness or the treatment, becomes the focus. Because Merritt's primary concern is not for the kind of treatment, she treats whole families, and even provides hospice care, spending time with patients when they're sick or dying.

The practice of concierge medicine is a growing trend, of which Dr. Summer Merritt is glad to be a part. It is a practice that is shifting the focus of medicine to people and patient care, rather than illnesses. It comes as no surprise that such a personalized medical practice is thriving in the fiercely independent atmosphere of West Texas. Beyond any local sense of independence, though, she believes that health is always an issue that requires individualized attention. "Health is a precious asset, and requires personal investment from people."

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Concierge medicine comes to West Texas