What we reported: The ratio of nurses and physicians to the population in Harris County is lower than the national median, with 2,773 nurses and 3,831 physicians in Harris County serving the area’s population of 4.5 million people.

The latest: At least nine freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care facilities have opened in the Spring and Klein area in the past three years, and two hospitals opened this year.

What’s next: Lone Star College is pursuing incorporating a 4-year nursing degree. Leaders in Texas are working on a number of initiatives to continue increasing the number of nurses, said Christina Mann, press officer for the Texas Department of State Health Services.