Texas County Memorial Hospital has made arrangements with Russell Huq, MD, a family practice physician, to join the TCMH Family Clinic in Licking.
Huq signed a four-year contract with the hospital in February with intentions of working at the complex in Houston. When TCMH officials realized the need for a permanent physician at the Licking clinic, they approached Huq.
Due to the Licking clinic’s need and Huq’s professional interests, TCMH approached Huq about the possibility of working full-time in Licking rather than Houston.
“Dr. Huq understands the needs of our patients in Licking, and he’s very excited about the possibility of going into a practice that is already very busy with patients that need to be seen,” said Wes Murray, CEO at TCMH.
Huq will begin seeing patients Sept. 10 at the TCMH Family Clinic in Licking, and he will also admit patients at the hospital.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to care for Dr. (Eugene) Honeywell’s patients and to grow the practice in Licking,” Huq said.
Huq was born in India but moved to the US as a child. He served in the Army, based at Fort Leonard Wood for a time, and owned an automobile sales business in Texas prior to going to medical school. In searching for a medical practice, he particularly sought a small town where the medical needs were great.
Huq has an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and he went to medical school at American University of the Caribbean. He is finishing up the family medicine residency at Methodist Health System of Dallas, and during his residency he did clinical research at Yale University in New Haven, Conn.
“Dr. Huq’s training makes him uniquely prepared to see the patients at our clinic in Licking,” Murray said. “We a grateful for Dr. Huq’s flexibility, and we will continue to actively recruit additional physicians for our clinics in Houston and Mountain Grove.”
Huq will relocate to the area in early September with his wife, Nahar, and their six-month old son.
TCMH has been actively recruiting full-time family practice physicians since the spring of 2008. In February, Huq signed a contract with TCMH, and Dr. John Paulson signed a contract in April. Both were to begin working for the hospital and Houston clinic – Huq in September 2009 and Paulson in July 2010.
“Typically, it takes about a year to fill a practice need when the recruiting process begins,” Murray explained, adding that many physicians are also in residency when recruited so they are unable to begin work right away.
TCMH is also seeking a full-time family nurse practitioner to collaborate with Huq in the TCMH Family Clinic in Licking.