Health & wellness
BY VALERIA ESCOBAR
How Katy physicians are rede ning wellness
The current situation
specialty care and care for an injury with 38% and 35% citing they sometimes or never have access to these services, respectively. “There is a lot of need for health care support in Fort Bend County ... physicians in this area are just so busy,” said Dr. Roger Campana with Katy Inter- nal Medicine Association LLP. Aron said the typical concierge client is likely a uent, high- ly-educated and older—a pro le he said ts Fort Bend County.
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. According to 2025 ndings from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, despite the fact that nine in 10 Fort Bend County residents have insurance, 26% “sometimes” or “never” have access to primary care—a number that grows to 31% for preventa- tive care. Meanwhile, county residents said they have even less access to other care methods including
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.
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. Concierge medicine—expected to grow by 10.3% annually in U.S. market size until 2030—allows patients to keep their health
How concierge medicine works
Concierge Medicine
Traditional Primary Care
Financial structure Annual membership fee, ranging from $4,000 to $50,000, usually in addition to insurance coverage for lab tests and specialist referrals Patient volume Case load of 300-600 patients Appointment length Averaging 30 to over 60 minutes Access and availability Same-day or next-day appointments, 24/7 access to physician Focus of care Focuses on preventative care and wellness Advanced services Access to advanced diagnostics (e.g., gut health, hormone testing, advanced cardiac pro les) and coordination with specialists
Relies heavily on high-volume insurance reimbursement
What they’re saying
“A trusted relationship with one’s family physician provides a solid foundation and peace of mind for path to health and wellbeing.” DR. THANH TAYLOR, FOUNDATION PRIMARY CARE
Caseload of over 2,000 patients annually
Averaging 15 to 20 minutes
Longer wait times, no after-hour access to physician
Often reactive "sick care"; patients visit when symptoms escalate.
“We can spend more time with patients, getting to know them and working with them more comprehensively, especially with lifestyle support leading to long-term wellness.” ROGER CAMPANA, KATY INTERNAL MEDICINE ASSOCIATION
Standard labs and screenings dictated by insurance coverage constraints
SOURCE: RAVI ARON, ROGER CAMPANA, THANH TAYLOR COMMUNITY IMPACT
Looking ahead
Gulf coast provider demand
He added that technology will increasingly amplify concierge medicine through tools like digital phenotyping—data from wearable devices tracking sleep, heart rate and medication intake—which can help predict health events before they occur. With predictive AI, he said physicians could better anticipate patient demand, manage schedules more e ciently and potentially free up time and resources for the healthcare system.
Aron acknowledged that concierge medicine’s growth could initially disrupt traditional systems— especially amid a physician shortage on the Gulf Coast— by limiting access to doctors who adopt membership-based practices. However, he argued that lower burnout combined with predictive technology can improve physician productivity and make the profession more sustainable, ultimately serving as a “force multiplier” against shortages.
Supply
Demand
15K 10K 5K 0
+21.95%
+12.58%
2025
2036
SOURCE: TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN RESOURCES, WORKFORCE SUPPLY & DEMAND PROJECTIONS COMMUNITY IMPACT
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KATY FULSHEAR EDITION
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