Rhode Island Funds Primary Care Workforce Training Efforts
To address the primary care workforce shortage, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) will be making up to $90,000 in grant funding available to numerous primary care sites to support their work to train more students and mentor Rhode Island's next generation of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
RIDOH's Primary Care Training Sites Program began accepting applications this week. This program is being supported by $2.7 million in State General Revenue funding.
The program is being run in partnership with the Care Transformation Collaborative of Rhode Island (CTC-RI). CTC-RI, originally co-convened by the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC) and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), works to pilot and support initiatives and programs statewide that improve and transform primary care––from integrating behavioral health into primary care to community-focused care support for children and families.
CTC-RI is developing the program curriculum that preceptors from awarded sites will be trained in and will use to train students. Additionally, CTC-RI will organize learning collaboratives for clinical educators.
"Our state is facing a significant primary care workforce shortage, resulting in too many patients left without access to much needed primary care––the backbone of our healthcare system,” said Debra Hurwitz, M.B.A., B.S.N., R.N., executive director of the Care Transformation Collaborative of RI, in a statement. “Thanks to our new Primary Care Training Sites Program in partnership with RIDOH, made possible by our legislature, we're responding to the needs of our workforce, adding capacity to recruit and train future primary care providers and encourage them to stay and work in Rhode Island. While there's no single solution to our workforce crisis, adding primary care-specific training and capacity will help us increase the provider pipeline, resulting in more access for Rhode Islanders.”
The program will expand interdisciplinary clinical training at advanced primary care sites. The program aims to increase Rhode Island's training capacity by 50% for nurse practitioners, physician assistant students, and physician residents. Practices can receive up to $90,000 per calendar year. Participating sites will receive funding based on their anticipated enrollment of trainees, helping to offset the costs associated with clinical education.
Primary care students in training may conduct patient assessments, assist with medical procedures, develop treatment plans under supervision, or learn how to coordinate care within a healthcare team. At sites awarded funding through this program, preceptors play a crucial role in ensuring that trainees gain hands-on experience while providing quality care to patients.
"Primary care is the backbone of the healthcare system in Rhode Island," said Director of Health Jerry Larkin, M.D., in a statement. "This program will encourage trainees in primary care to remain in Rhode Island after completing their education, and it will enhance Rhode Island's clinical training capacity. Given the national shortage of primary care providers, this is more important than ever."
