Dorothy Merriwether CMPE
   President and Founder

   Paula Rentiers
   Associate

Dorothy Merriwether founded D. Merriwether & Associates in January 1998 to meet medical practice needs identified during her twenty years experience in the health care field. The principal clients of D. Merriwether & Associates are physicians. However, other health care organizations also seek assistance from the company.

Dorothy Merriwether has extensive experience in medical group management in both primary care and specialty care, physician-owned medical practices, and corporate-owned medical practices. Dorothy's work experience includes Baylor College of Medicine, The Methodist Hospital System, Houston, Texas, The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, and Columbia/HCA's Physician Services Division.

Her background includes managed care, integrated delivery systems, academic practice, provider network development, medical group formation, Texas 5.01(a) formation, medical practice acquisition, and physician/hospital joint ventures.

Dorothy has served in a leadership capacity as a
board President and Founder member and officer of physician/hospital joint ventures. She obtained her bachelors degree from Our Lady of the Lake University's Houston campus, where she received special honors for excellence from the School of Business.

Her professional credentials include Certified Medical Practice Executive, American College of Medical Practice Executives. Her memberships include the Medical Group Management Association, Texas Medical Group Management Association, Gulf Coast Medical Group Management Association, and charter membership in the National Association of Inpatient Physicians. Dorothy serves as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board, Hospitalist & Inpatient Management Report. In January 1998, she founded D. Merriwether & Associates, a medical practice management company.

Paula Rentiers has in-depth knowledge gained through 20 plus years experience in medical practice management and medical services organizations (MSO's). She began her practice management career in pediatrics and ENT. As the administrator of a ophthalmology practice, she has had responsibility for a medical practice, ambulatory surgery center, and optical shops in Houston, Conroe, and Pasadena, Texas. Her experience includes management responsibility for an MSO owned by Columbia/St. David's Round Rock Hospital, Round Rock, Texas. This MSO provided billing and collection services for accounts receivable Associate in excess of $9M, full charge bookkeeping services, medical practice start-ups, managed care plan contracting and credentialing, coding consulting, and human resources management for both primary care physicians and specialists. Paula's consulting background includes providing medical practice consulting services through Frost and Associates and Dixie Sims Associates, Houston, Texas. In 1999, Paula associated with
D. Merriwether & Associates .