Primary Healthcare Reform: A Signature Initiative

Loan forgiveness recipient Dr. Kimberly Dodd with a patient at Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket.Learn how the loan forgiveness program addresses Rhode Island's shortage of primary care physicians.

Activities toward the goals

Examples of our integrated grantmaking, development. and community leadership activities toward these goals include:

• Commissioning a study that found 140,000 Rhode Islanders have no health insurance
• Working with the RIGHA Foundation and Pilgrim Healthcare for the creation of a $1.6 million healthcare fund at The Rhode Island Foundation
• Making grants of $1.6 million for primary care through the Fund for a Healthy Rhode Island
• Establishing, with our partners, a loan forgiveness program for primary care physicians and other healthcare professionals
• Fact sheet: Rhode Island Educational Loan Repayment Program for Primary Care Providers
• Awarding $75,000 to RI Health Center Association for the Patient Centered Medical Home Collaborative

Events

As part of the Rhode Island Community Forums, the Foundation and Rhode Island Public Radio co-sponsored a panel discussion, Rhode Island Health Care Insurance Exchange. See the video from the October 19, 2011 forum.

In 2010, the Foundation co-sponsored with Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts a series of public forums addressing the challenges and opportunities of implementing health system reform in Rhode Island. The "Making it Work: Health Reform in Rhode Island" series led to the creation of the Coalition for Primary Care, which is serving to coordinate efforts to improve access to primary care in Rhode Island.

Spotlight on primary healthcare reform

• Rapid Access Rhode Island: increasing access to primary care
• Loan forgiveness: addressing Rhode Island's shortage of primary care physicians
• Cornerstone Adult Services: improving health outcomes of elders with chronic conditions

What makes this work possible?

In addition to unrestricted funds at the Foundation, we are fortunate to have a number of field of interest funds for health.  The largest, the Fund for a Healthy Rhode Island, was established in 2008 and focuses on primary care.

If you also want to improve access to and the availability of primary healthcare in Rhode Island, we invite you to join us. Call or email Yvette Mendez, grant programs officer, (401) 427-4051.