You will step into an established family medicine practice in Brenham, Texas, a growing community of more than 17,000 residents located 72 miles northwest of Houston along US-290. CHI St. Joseph Health Primary Care Brenham sits at the center of Washington County's healthcare landscape, serving a population of approximately 35,800 across the county and surrounding rural communities. This is an outpatient-only position with a modern, fully equipped clinic, a ready-made patient panel, and the backing of one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the country. You will practice full-spectrum family medicine in a setting where you know your patients by name, your leadership knows you personally, and your schedule protects the time you need outside the clinic.
Washington County's population skews older than the Texas average, with nearly 23% of residents age 65 or older. The area draws retirees for its lower cost of living, rural character, and proximity to Houston, College Station, and Austin. At the same time, young families, Blinn College students, and a stable agricultural and manufacturing workforce round out a diverse patient base that spans pediatrics through geriatrics. Primary care access in rural Central Texas remains limited, and Brenham's growing population needs physicians who will stay and build lasting relationships with their patients.
You will fill a critical gap created by two recent departures, including the retirement of the clinic's longest-tenured physician, whose panel of more than 1,400 established patients is ready for immediate takeover. There is no ramp-up period. Your schedule will be full from day one.
Your daily workflow is designed to prevent burnout, not just treat it after the fact. The clinic template starts conservatively at one to two patients per hour and increases as you settle in. The target template is 30-minute new patient and 15-minute follow-up appointments, though physicians who prefer higher volume can adjust to 20/10 scheduling with periodic wellness check-ins from leadership to ensure sustainability.
Once your panel supports it, you will receive a dedicated administrative block of approximately four hours per week, taken from home on a day of your choosing (Friday afternoons are common). Combined with 36 hours of weekly patient-contact time, this structure gives you consistent, predictable hours without the open-ended days that drive physicians out of clinical practice.
You will report to two leaders with clearly defined roles. Ryan Hancock, Director of Operations, oversees the operational side of the practice and serves as your primary point of contact for scheduling, resources, staffing, and workflow questions. He is described by colleagues as approachable, relationship-driven, and deeply familiar with the realities of physician recruitment and clinical operations.
Dr. Clint Chang serves as Chief Medical Officer and handles clinical governance, quality, and medical decision-making. This split leadership model gives you a clear path for both operational and clinical concerns without bureaucratic layers between you and the people making decisions. For experienced physicians interested in leadership, director-level or area medical director responsibilities may be available with dedicated administrative time.
Your practice in Brenham combines the professional autonomy and personal connections of a small-market clinic with the financial stability, benefits infrastructure, and career mobility of CommonSpirit Health, a system that operates more than 2,300 care sites and 140 hospitals across 24 states. You will have the resources of a $40 billion national organization behind you while practicing in a community where your patients and their families become part of your daily life.