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While traditional health care providers often see a large number of patients during shorter appointments, membership-based physicians said they are shifting to a more exclusive model that reduces patient loads and allows for more personalized care.

The big picture: Concierge medicine—expected to grow by 10.3% annually in U.S. market size until 2030—allows patients to keep their health insurance, while paying a monthly membership fee for enhanced access to physicians, according to a 2024 Grand View Research report.

Driven by a focus on “wellness” rather than “sick care,” more patients and physicians are embracing these models to invest in patients, said professor Ravi Aron, healthcare strategy and technology researcher at the University of Houston.

The current situation: The new care comes at a time when the demand for physicians in the Fort Bend County area is at a high as the county nears its one million resident mark and some areas of the county see rising ages.

The city of Katy has appointed the city's first female interim fire chief as officials work to fill the open position.

The big picture: At a Jan. 26 meeting, Katy City Council unanimously approved Dana Massey's interim appointment as current Fire Chief Kenneth Parker prepares for retirement following five years in the position and 28 years of service—12 with the city of Katy.

Zooming in: Massey has been with the Katy Fire Department since 1999, winning the city's 2021 Employee of the Year award. She previously worked at the Baytown and Galena Park fire departments, according to a KPD Facebook post.

Looking ahead: Massey will assume the chief role beginning at noon Feb. 2 until a replacement is named, according to agenda documents.

• Why are you running for office?
• What are your qualifications for why you’d be a strong candidate in this role?
• If elected, what will be your top priorities?
• What are the biggest challenges facing this district and how do you plan to address these issues?
• What projects are most important for the legislature to focus on for the future of Texas?
• What do you see as the greatest challenge for Texas in the next 5 years?

The March 3 primary election is coming up, and so is the deadline to register to vote. Eligible Texans must register by Feb. 2 to cast votes in dozens of races, including 18 statewide officials, 38 members of Congress, 166 state legislators and various local seats, such as county judges and commissioners.

How to register: Texans must submit a paper voter registration application by Feb. 2. Applications can be mailed to their county elections office or delivered in-person.

To avoid delivery delays under new federal postmark rules, prospective voters may requests that mailed applications be hand-stamped at a local post office.

The big picture: Texas holds primaries for partisan elected positions at the federal, state, regional and local levels. Republican and Democratic primary voters will have a say in which candidates will represent their chosen political party on the November ballot, shaping who is ultimately elected to each seat.

In recent years, no more than one-fourth of registered Texas voters have cast ballots in primary elections, state data shows.