As a young boy, Curtis Merritt, DO, did ride-alongs with his mother – a nurse who visited patients in their homes. “I watched her work and noticed she always found a way to make her patients smile, to bring some joy into their lives as she cared for them,” he said. “I just never thought about doing anything else with my life. I always knew I was going to be a doctor.”
Dr. Merritt, 40, joined the medical staff at Faith Community Health System in April 2024. He will be caring for patients at Faith Community Hospital and in the Faith Community Rural Health Clinic, both in Jacksboro.
Dr. Merritt welcomes new patients and is proud of his philosophy as a physician.
“More good days,” he said. “That’s what I want for my patients. In the end, isn’t that what medicine is all about? I can’t prevent the inevitable, but I can try to look down the road and make sure the care I provide today gives my patients the best chance at getting ahead of what may happen in the future. My goal is to get you as many good days in this life as possible.”
Focused on providing the best doctor-patient relationship possible to every person he cares for, Dr. Merritt wants to be a “healthcare partner.”
“I know that may sound like corporate-speak, but partnering with my patients is the thing that will best help me create relationships that result in the best care and outcomes,” he said.
Dr. Merritt earned his medical degree at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth. Prior to joining the Faith team, he served patients at Wise Regional in Decatur for eight years.
He currently resides in Rhome with his wife and three children.