Kurt Merkelz
Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer
Kurt Merkelz, M.D., is senior vice president and chief medical officer at Compassus. 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 across the communities Compassus serves.
Dr. Merkelz has held this role since 2017. Previously, he served as medical director for the Compassus program serving Houston. Throughout his career, he has focused on caring for older adults. His perseverance in raising industry benchmarks for quality hospice care earned him the Compassus R. Sean Morrison, M.D., Award for Outstanding Achievement in Hospice Physician Leadership in 2012, and his work in standardized care delivery garnered Compassus national recognition by the National Quality Forum in 2020.
Dr. Merkelz earned 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. Merkelz is triple-board certified in hospice and palliative care medicine, family practice, and geriatrics. He also serves on several national organization committees, including the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA), and the National Quality Forum (NQF).
