Empathica Spring Care Clinic officials confirmed the clinic has plans to launch in Spring pending a certificate of occupancy approval. The grand opening is tentatively scheduled for May 1.

The details: Led by Elizabeth Condit, Empathica Spring Care Clinic offers a patient-centered approach to primary care, direct primary care, and comprehensive wellness services, per the website. Services offered include:

• Chronic care management
• Comprehensive care consultations
• Medical weightloss

Home Bank opened a new full-service banking center in Tomball on March 16, according to a news release.

What you need to know: The new banking center is Home Bank’s sixth location in the Greater Houston area, joining existing sites in River Oaks, Sugar Land, Friendswood, Webster and Pasadena, according to the release.

The release states the Tomball location follows a six-month renovation that transformed the existing building into a space designed to serve both commercial and retail customers. The site will also serve as a hub for Home Bank’s North Houston commercial banking team, which joined the organization in 2023 under the leadership of North Houston Market President Christy Daniel.

• 27702 Tomball Parkway, Tomball

Following an hours-long March 19 public hearing, Harris County commissioners unanimously approved the acquisition of 8.9 acres of Hermann Park for the expansion of Ben Taub Hospital, one of only two adult Level I trauma facilities in the county.

The long-awaited vote comes after months of contention about whether or not Harris Health—the county's hospital system—should acquire the land by eminent domain, which grants local governments the legal power to use land for public use.

What happened: Commissioners authorized the condemnation March 19 after Harris Health officials confirmed that no "feasible alternative" exists for the $410 million expansion of Ben Taub's campus.

Why it matters: Ben Taub Hospital consistently operates beyond its 402-bed capacity, and officials expect emergency room demand to increase over the next several years as Harris County's population grows, Community Impact previously reported. Porsa said the hospital's ER regularly suffers from hours-long wait times due to chronic backlogs.

Looking forward: Officials expect to have legal possession of the land within 6-9 months and break ground on the project in late 2027. 

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from March 16-20.

• Fleet Week Houston ship lineup announced
• Photos: Houston officials give HUD Deputy Director tour of new hub for individuals experiencing homelessness
• Houston Methodist announces $104M expansion in Cypress
• Greater Heights Strategic Connections Plan to see final round of resident engagement in March
• See when these 9 Greater Houston-area water parks will open for the 2026 season