Hospital Systems and Primary Care

It is well documented that the sustainability and viability of Rhode Island’s hospital systems are tenuous. This impacts primary care in myriad ways. There are also an ever-increasing number of primary care provider practices owned by, or where the providers are employed by, hospitals.

“I feel like I am not a physician, but a commodity.”

“We are bought and sold like cattle.”

“My practice merged with a hospital system, and, despite many promises, we saw worsening conditions. I have found that I work better, and I am happier, working in an environment where the decision makers are other physicians. I will only work in a physician-based practice moving forward.

“I feel like physician leadership makes all of the difference.”

“The state planning process is very exciting, but it is disappointing that they are siloing primary care from hospitals in their review. These issues are intrinsically linked, especially now.”

“We need the community hospitals to stay open. They need more resources, not less. Those hospitals provide necessary resources for providers and patients alike.”

“For-profit hospitals scare me. They don’t belong in Rhode Island. What can we do to protect our system from what we are seeing in other states?”

“We are going to see more and more physicians unionize, especially in hospital-owned practices where unions are already prevalent. We are seeing it happen in other states and it is just a matter of time until we see it (in Rhode Island).”

The following resources and documents address issues related to hospitals and primary care: