OP /ED
Until 2021, most Texans didn’t think twice about the state’s electrical grid. But that year, the grid widely failed when an Arctic snowstorm strained its capacity, leaving millions without electricity or heat for several days, wreaking havoc on the state. The collective shock of that experience drew Texans’ attention to the fact that the electrical grid needs regular maintenance, investment, and research and development to ensure it can keep pace with the state’s growing population and changing energy needs.
Like the electrical grid, Texas’ primary care system has struggled to keep pace with the needs of a modern state. Of the state’s 254 counties, 224 are designated as primary care health professional shortage areas. Is it any wonder that getting a primary care appointment can be a nightmare, even if you already have a primary care physician? In a state brimming with world class medical schools, health science centers, and hospitals, many Texans have been left scratching their heads, asking how the state’s primary care system got to this point.
