Howard sells local medical clinic to Pratt

Dr. John Howard has announced his retirement from medical practice and the sale of the Clarendon Family Medical Center effective November 1, 2022.

The new owner and medical supervisor of the clinic will be Dr. Dustin Pratt of Childress.

“During the forty years I have practiced medicine I have witnessed much change,” Howard said. “Some of the advances in technology and therapeutics are nothing short of miraculous. One thing which has not changed, however, is our commitment to our patients and their care. With that in mind, and after a great deal of deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to pass the reins at the clinic to a new generation.”

Howard said he has been looking for a succession plan for the clinic for some time and said the continuation of the clinic has always been a top priority for him.

“It is not the Howard Medical Center,” the doctor said. “It is the Clarendon Family Medical Center because I always intended it to be a lasting thing for the community.”

Howard also said that the importance of the clinic to the community was made very clear over the last two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I believe all of this has been providential,” Howard said. “I feel very comfortable with the plan. I see the need – the increasing need – for rural practitioners. I view the employees as my clinic family, and it was important to take care of them, too.”

Howard said Dr. Pratt is interested in both the business side of medicine as well as the patient care side, which is rare in doctors, and he said Pratt shares his commitment to quality care for patients and West Texas values.

Looking to the future, Howard will focus his energies on what is already a full-time job – that of serving as the Donley County Judge.

“I’m on the ballot this November,” he said. “I’ve still got several unfinished plans for the county business, and we still need improvements to the courthouse.”

After 24 years in Clarendon, Howard and his wife, Lori, have no plans to move. They have enjoyed their time here and are proud to have raised their family here.

“Clarendon is home,” he said. “It has been my privilege to care for our patients and our community for the past twenty-four years. I pray for God’s blessing on each of you, your families, and our community.”