Skip to main content

Our story

Founded in 1990 by Dr. George M. Rapier III, WellMed began as a single clinic in San Antonio, Texas, with a simple yet powerful idea: deliver proactive, preventive care and build strong relationships with senior patients. Dr. Rapier believed that keeping patients healthy, rather than just treating symptoms, could significantly improve their quality of life, prevent complications, and reduce hospital stays.

Today, WellMed is a comprehensive network of doctors, specialists, and medical professionals dedicated to caring for over 1 million older adults across more than 16,000 offices in Texas and Florida. We specialize in managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, empowering patients to live healthier lives through coordinated care from a dedicated medical team. Our specialties include cardiology, podiatry, dermatology, rheumatology, neurology, palliative care, wound care, hospital medicine, and more.

Our mission: To help the sick become well and to help patients understand and control their health in a lifelong effort at wellness.

Our vision: To change the face of healthcare delivery for the nation by providing quality, proactive patient care with a focus on prevention.

Our values:

  • Integrity: Honor commitments made to patients and providers; never compromise ethics.
  • Compassion: “Patients come first”; provide a holistic approach to care.
  • Relationships: Collaborate with all healthcare providers to improve the lives of patients and caregivers.
  • Innovation: Enhance efforts related to patient experience.
  • Performance: Demonstrate value to patients in how we manage their health; require shared accountability across healthcare providers.
  • Inclusion: Welcome, value, respect, and hear all voices and diverse points of view.

Visit our blog page, Age healthy now, to view WellMed articles, podcasts, and videos to help you understand and control your health in a lifelong effort at wellness.

Discover how WellMed’s proactive, preventive care has transformed lives.

WellMed operates on a physician-owned, patient-centered model similar to an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). As an early adopter of the ACO philosophy, WellMed has continuously demonstrated how the healthcare delivery system can work by reducing costs and improving care while enhancing and saving lives. This model is designed to provide the most efficient, comprehensive, and proven care techniques to treat the whole patient—physically, mentally, and socially—at each visit.

  • WellMed Medical Management Inc.: A "capitated, full-risk" Management Service Organization (MSO) with an HMO structure, managing premiums from insurance companies for the provision of healthcare.
  • WellMed Charitable Foundation: Supports seniors and caregivers in the communities we serve through community donations and employee contributions.
  • Homecare Dimensions: Delivers skilled home health services, including nursing care, to help homebound patients live safely at home with dignity and the support they need.
  • WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc.: Offers board-certified family practice and internal medicine physicians in Florida.
  • Optum Florida: Provides personalized care designed to help patients meet their health goals.

WellMed clinicians change lives – and sometime save lives. Our approach to care gives patients the tools and support they need to live healthier, happier lives. Read how some of our patients have been left with lasting impressions on their hearts and minds by the wonderful men and women we proudly call our health care heroes. Visit Our stories to explore more inspiring WellMed experiences.

Back to Top