Titus Regional Medical Foundation (TRMF) is pleased to announce that Dr. Paul Meriwether will be honored at this year’s Grand Gala with the 2024 TRMC Lifetime Achievement in Healthcare.  This award is presented annually to recognize and celebrate a member of our community who has dedicated their career to helping others and contributed greatly to the health care of the community we serve.

Dr. Meriwether began practicing medicine in Mt. Pleasant, Texas on July 16, 1984.  After completing medical school in Galveston, Texas, he chose to come home to East Texas to begin his career.  After meeting and marrying his wife, Becky, in medical school they both wanted to raise their family in an area where their children would be close to grandparents.  Dr. Meriwether grew up in Mt. Pleasant and his parents were still here, so it was a perfect fit.  He joined Dr. Troyce Williams in his Family Practice and began the career he knew he was destined for.  “I always wanted to practice medicine,” shared Dr. Meriwether, “Since high school, I knew I wanted to care for people and medical school was the perfect way to do that.”

Dr. Paul Meriwether not only served this area as a physician, but he spent over 20 years serving our city as a City Council Member and 8 years as Mayor.  His time in this role was also valuable to him as a doctor.  He believes his time with the city allowed him to see healthcare from the outside.  “As Mayor, I learned the true value of quality healthcare to a community.  Business growth depends on it.” Stated Dr. Meriwether.  Throughout his life in Mt. Pleasant, he has seen great change.  During high school, he saw the utilities and mines grow and prosper as Pilgrims Pride was also beginning to take root in Mt. Pleasant.  Now without the power plant and with Pilgrims no longer under local ownership, the landscape of local business has shifted but remains strong.  He appreciates the resilience of the people and the firm foundations the city and healthcare communities have that allow Mt. Pleasant to continue to prosper.

Family is important to both Dr. Meriwether and Becky.  They have 4 wonderful children and 6 grandchildren who are the joy of their lives.  He believes his greatest accomplishments lie in the lives of his children.  Three of the four have chosen healthcare professions while the fourth cares for children as a teacher.  He shared, “I love that my children chose to participate in service careers.  I know sacrifices were often made with my time due to my career as they grew up, yet they looked beyond things I may have missed to see the greater benefits of serving others and chose to do the same.”

The world of healthcare and family practice has seen many changes in the 40 years since Dr. Meriwether began his practice.  As most small towns did then, family practitioners did a little of everything when he started, including delivering babies and attending to patients in the hospital and ICU.  Now he is excited that our local community healthcare is specialty driven!  He is proud to see that our community offer services here that he never dreamed possible in 1984, including robotic surgery, cath lab procedures, stroke care and a growing medical staff who live and practice here to care for OUR community.  He is proud to be part of a health system who recognizes needs in the local community and meets those needs as their priority over the bottom line.  Beyond his service to the Titus Regional Health System, Dr. Meriwether has also served as Medical Director of Cypress Basin Hospice for the past 25 years.

“Dr. Meriwether has been a pillar in our community, both in healthcare and in leadership.  I have been honored to work with him for over twenty years and witness the passion he has for others.  We have been truly blessed through his service.” stated Terry Scoggin, CEO of Titus Regional Medical Center.

After practicing medicine in Titus County for 40 years as well as serving as Medical Director for Cypress Basin Hospice for the past 25 years, Dr. Meriwether shared that his greatest lesson throughout his time in medicine is simply, “If you listen long enough, a patient will tell you what is wrong with them.  You have to trust your patient as well as your own instinct.”  This true Family Physician has spent his life doing just that, listening and treating the citizens of this community with dignity and trust.  Titus Regional Medical Foundation is honored to recognize Dr. Paul Meriwether for his Lifetime Achievement in Healthcare.