Recent Updates and Resources

June 2025 Updates

Title	Organization/ Author(s) Names/Date	Description and/or summary: *Note, for the sake of brevity, some of the information below has been paraphrased. Please see source document for exact language.*
Assembly provides strong foundation for building RI’s health care system	The Providence Journal K. Joseph Shekarchi and Christopher R. Blazejewski June 29, 2025	Op-Ed from Speaker Shekarchi and Majority Leader Blazejewski on legislative progress to address primary care system issues.
To tackle the doctor shortage, RI must build programs for physician associates – Opinion	The Providence Journal Dr. Kenneth Botelho June 28, 2025	Op-ed by Dr. Botelho discussing prioritizing physician associates as instrumental to address the primary care crisis in Rhode Island. The letter recommends investing in primary care fellowships and other innovations.
Rhode Island injects $6.7 million in grants into primary care practices	The Providence Journal Jonny Williams June 28, 2025	Media report on 2025 legislative action to address primary care crisis.
Southcoast Health adds 5 providers to community health system	Providence Business News Katie Castellani June 27, 2025	Media report on added provider capacity in the region, including primary care additions.
As health insurers seek big rate hikes, worries about sustainability grow	Providence Business News June 27, 2025	Media report on insurance rate hike requests which are at a record high this year.
Four changes coming to health care in Rhode Island from the General Assembly	The Providence Journal Jonny Williams June 26, 2025	Media report on health care investments with heavy focus on primary care rates and prior authorizations.
State awards $6.7M to support primary care practices	Providence Business News June 23, 2025	Media report on primary care training investments to 85 practices.
Gov. McKee Infuses $6.7M Into Rhode Island’s Primary Care System	Rhode Island PBS Alexander Castro June 23, 2025	Media report on primary care training investments to 85 practices.
What we do now determines the future of health care in RI	The Providence Journal Dr. Kelly McGarry June 22, 2025	Op-Ed from Dr. McGarry, a primary care provider formerly at Anchor, sharing her experience and insight about the primary care crisis.
When California was part of Mexico; RI’s urgent health care crisis – Letters	The Providence Journal Maguire Anuszewski June 22, 2025	Letter to the editor from Maguire Anuszewski, a local 3 year medical student, in support of RIMS legislative priorities from the perspective of a physician in training.
Rhode Island House lights up to protect federal drug discount program from Big Pharma	Rhode Island Current Alexander Castro June 20, 2025	Media report on 340B legislation that supports primary care access in the community health centers.
Assembly protects 340B discount prescription program	State of Rhode Island General Assembly Meredyth R. Whitty June 20, 2025	Media report on 340B legislation that supports primary care access in the community health centers.
Assembly approves bill to allow foreign trained physicians to practice in state	Providence Business News Christopher Allen June 20, 2025	Media report on legislation that will allow more foreign trained physicians to practice in RI. This was a legislative priority of the Speaker in part due to concerns about primary care access in RI.
Are Rhode Island insurers doing enough to help curb rising health care costs?	Providence Business News PBN Staff June 20, 2025	Media poll focused on consumer perception of insurance rate increases which includes discussion of primary care access.
Health insurers eye huge rate hikes	Providence Business News PBN Staff June 20, 2025	Media report on insurance rate hike requests which are at a record high this year.
Insurers submit highest rate increase requests to OHIC in more than a decade	Providence Business News Katie Castellani June 13, 2025	Media report on insurance rate hike requests which are at a record high this year.
What’s in RI’s proposed $14.3B budget? Help for primary care, RIPTA funds and ‘Taylor Swift tax’	The Providence Journal Patrick Anderson and Katherine Gregg June 12, 2025	Media report on the state budget including primary care spending.
Health care community celebrates wins in proposed FY 2026 state budget	Providence Business News Katie Castellani June 12, 2025	Media report on state budget investments in support of health care priorities including primary care access.
Here’s what’s in the revised $14.3 billion RI state budget	The Boston Globe Ed Fitzpatrick and Steph Machado June 11, 2025	Media report on house finance committee vote that increased state budget investments in support of health care priorities including primary care rates.
Just what the doctor ordered: RI’s medical community is cheering the proposed state budget	The Providence Journal Katherine Gregg June 11, 2025	Media report on state budget investments in support of health care priorities including primary care access. Includes a quote from RIMS EVP and CEO Stacy Paterno.
Brown Health posts $8.8M operating income in Q2	Providence Business News Katie Castellani June 10, 2025	Media report on Brown Health’s operating income.
Neronha’s proposed rule takes aim at private equity in health care	Providence Business News Katie Castellani June 6, 2025	Media report on the attorney general’s new rule that would require Rhode Island doctor groups to notify Neronha’s office of any merger, consolidation or acquisition that meets at least one of three criteria: results in ownership or control by a private equity investor; involves a group of eight or more doctors, physician assistants or nurse practitioners; or creates a management services organization to handle the medical group’s contracts with third-parties or insurance carriers.
Rhode Island Needs to Fix 340B, Not Expand It – Former Gov. Howard Dean	GoLocalProv Howard Dean May 17, 2025	Op-Ed against 340 legislation from Dr. Howard Dean.
How many foreign doctors are on work visas in RI? Why the answer isn’t clear	The Providence Journal Jonny Williams March 21, 2025	Media report on physicians who are in RI practicing with visas. Includes mention of Providence Community Health Center’s employment of visa-holding physicians.

May 2025 Updates

Title	Organization/ Author(s) Names/Date	Description and/or summary: Note, for the sake of brevity, some of the information below has been paraphrased. Please see source document for exact language.
Attorney General Neronha hosts State House rally in support of raising Medicaid reimbursement rates	RIFuture.news Steve Ahlquist June 6, 2025	News report about Attorney General Neronha’s press conference. Includes quotes from Dr. Kate de Klerk and Dr. Beth Cronin.
Rhode Map Live: Rhode Island’s healthcare crisis	ART19: Rhode Island Report Podcast	Recording of Rhode Report event on health care. The Globe RI’s Dan McGowan and Alexa Gagosz moderated a discussion on Rhode Island’s health care crisis with Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, Brown Health President and CEO John Fernandez, and Maura Iversen, the dean of the College of Health & Wellness at Johnson & Wales University.
URI medical school a “distraction” from primary care crisis, R.I. leaders say	The Boston Globe Dan McGowan June 5, 2025	A news report on the discussion at the Rhode Map Live event during which the medical school issue was framed as a “distraction.”
Rhode Island needs to update and modernize its health insurance anti-discrimination protections	RIFuture.news Steve Ahlquist June 4, 2025	Media report on pending legislation to expand non-discrimination protection for those seeking health insurance. Classes proposed to be added included immigration status and gender identity. Legislation would also codify the right to gender affirming care.
Suspected Medicaid fraud in RI sparks criminal probe, proposed changes	WPRI Providence Eli Sherman June 2, 2025	News report on alleged fraud in the community health worker workforce and newly proposed regulations to address concerns. New regulations would remove standing orders, which would impact primary care providers.
A new URI med school would produce 100 doctors a year and cost $225M, study finds	The Providence Journal Patrick Anderson May 30, 2025	News report on URI medical school report. Key points include that it would take 9 years for the first students to graduate and cost 225 million. It also highlighted the graduate drain from Rhode Island. “Of 106 graduates from primary care residencies in Rhode Island in academic year 2002–2023, only 15 (14%) planned to provide primary care in Rhode Island, demonstrating a critical leakage in the state’s health care workforce pipeline.”
Proposed URI Medical School Could Fill Doctor Shortage, Boost Economy, Draft Report Finds	Rhode Island PBS/The Public’s Radio Ian Donnis May 30, 2025	News report on the medical school report.
Commentary: Primary care is in crisis in R.I. We have to address it now.	The Boston Globe Peter Hollmann May 30, 2025	Opinion piece by Dr. Hollmann representing the medical society.
Draft report outlines the value and the costs of a URI medical school	The Boston Globe Ed Fitzpatrick May 30, 2025	News report on the medical school report.
As the budget gets closer, it’s getting louder at the RI State House. What advocates want.	The Providence Journal Katherine Gregg May 29, 2025	Quote from the Economic Progress Institute about needing to increase taxes to address the primary care crisis.
Neronha releases initiatives aimed at improving health care in RI	The Providence Journal Jonny Williams May 29, 2025	News report on Attorney General Neronha’s press conference in support of his policy platform which includes legislation to address primary care rates and reduce administrative burdens, including prior authorizations.
McKee proposes $10 million for new behavioral health care unit at Fatima Hospital. What to know.	The Providence Journal Patrick Anderson May 28, 2025	News report on proposed behavioral health unit that highlights connections between behavioral health network adequacy and the primary care crisis.
Neronha unveils initiatives to heal state’s ailing health care system	Providence Business News Katie Castellani May 28, 2025	News report on Attorney General Neronha’s press conference in support of his policy platform which includes legislation to address primary care rates and reduce administrative burdens, including prior authorizations.
How the attorney general is addressing R.I.’s health care system	The Boston Globe Christopher Gavin May 28, 2025	News report on the highlights from the Rhode Report event. Key quote: “We have to stabilize primary care right now,” Neronha said. “Primary care doctors are the air traffic controllers of our health care system. They’re the ones that analyze our problem, send us to the tests we need, send us to the specialist we need.”
Litigation, legislation, collaboration: Neronha outlines fix for R.I.’s broken health care system	Rhode Island Current Alexander Castro May 28, 2025	News report on Attorney General Neronha’s proposals to address the primary care crisis.
Primary Care in Rhode Island is in Imminent Danger	What’s Up Newp Frank Prosnitz May 20, 2025	News report on primary care crisis, with quotes by Dr. Michael Fine, former director of the Rhode Island Department of Health. He said “primary care in Rhode Island is in imminent danger.” Small says that residencies are going unfilled in areas of family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics … “we’re not training enough doctors.”
Primary Care and RI Healthcare Crisis: South County Health is Working to Address, But Rhode Island Needs Systemic Solutions	Providence Business News May 19, 2025	Paid advertising section including interview with South County Hospital CEO Aaron Robinson
How CODAC is changing the culture of care in RI	ConvergenceRI Richard Asinof May 19, 2025	Interview with Linda Hurley, CEO of CODAC, which includes discussion of integrated care.
Entropy vs. synergy	ConvergenceRI Richard Asinof May 19, 2025	News report focusing on striking health care workers.
An aging Rhode Island needs its own medical school to grow primary care physicians	The Providence Journal Dr. Charles L. Cronin May 17, 2025	Op ed in support of the URI medical school from Dr. Charles Cronin, who suggests taking action now to address the aging primary care workforce.
Weight loss drugs caused health care spending to balloon in RI. It’s not the only factor	The Providence Journal Jonny Williams May 13, 2025	News report highlighting cost drivers including increasing drug costs associated with weight loss drugs.
OHIC: hospital drug costs drove jump in health care spending	Providence Business News Katie Castellani May 12, 2025	News report highlighting cost drivers including increasing drug costs associated with weight loss drugs and costs related to hospitals.
RI’s health care collapse: Concrete fixes can’t wait	The Providence Journal Gary D. Alexander May 11, 2025	Opinion piece by former Health and Human Services secretary Gary Alexander. He offers suggestions on cost containment and system improvement. Suggestions include increasing access to behavioral health services, reducing drug prices, and using AI to identify waste and fraud.
RI Top Doctor Chan Raises Questions About Disturbing Trends in RI’s Healthcare System	GoLocalProv GoLocal LIVE May 11, 2025	Interview with Dr. Philip Chan on current issues in the care delivery system including the primary care crisis and CEO salaries.
Top RI Lawmaker Criticizes Rising Salaries of Healthcare CEOs As Layoffs Hit	GoLocalProv GoLocalProv News Team May 10, 2025	Interview highlighting a state representative’s concern about CEO compensation at Providence Community Health Centers within the context of recent staff layoffs.
Work with industry to fix primary care	Providence Business News PBN Staff May 9, 2025	Reader poll on appropriate next steps to address primary care crisis.
Rhode Island Health Care System Planning Cabinet EOHHS Independent Advisory Council Joint Meeting	RI Executive Office of Health & Human Services May 8, 2025	Slide deck from the May 2025 meeting of the Rhode Island Health Care System Planning Cabinet. Primary care section begins on page 7.
Primary Care Crisis Response Tracker – Working Document	RI Executive Office of Health & Human Services May 7, 2025	State agency public update on actions to address primary care crisis.
AG Neronha challenges Gov. McKee on future health care strategies	ConvergenceRI Richard Asinof May 5, 2025	Interview with Attorney General Neronha about conflicts with Governor McKee about health care issues, including action to address the primary care crisis.
The data according to OHIC	ConvergenceRI Richard Asinof April 28, 2025	Interview with OHIC Director Cory King about OHIC’s data update.
Carbuccia: Expand the Scope of Practice for Professional Midwives and Lactation Consultants in RI	Uprise RI Koren Carbuccia April 26, 2025	Editorial in support of legislation supporting scope expansions for midwives and lactation professionals which aim to address disparities.
Thundermist family residency program could fill primary care gap in RI. But there’s a catch	The Providence Journal Jonny Williams April 10, 2025	News report on Thundermist residency program that received planning funding but implementation funding has been withheld due to administration changes. Dr. Paul George is quoted.
Rhode Island Funds Primary Care Workforce Training Efforts	Healthcare Innovation David Raths March 28, 2025	News report on RI Department of Health program that provides funds to practices that support primary care training. Dr. Jerry Larkin, Director of Health, is quoted.