With the aim of improving healthcare access and affordability in Rhode Island, two bills have been passed in the Senate that will provide funding for the training of more primary care doctors and nurse practitioners.
The first bill, which is part of the Holistic Enhancement and Access Legislation for Total Health (HEALTH) initiative, establishes a primary care training sites program. Up to $90,000 per clinical slot will be provided to practices that take on students to train with high standards for patient-centered primary care. The goal is to address the lack of availability of clinical training opportunities for primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, and the legislation will reimburse participating practices for the costs of student loan repayment for up to four years.
The second bill, which is also part of the HEALTH initiative, makes funding available through the Wavemaker Fellowship program to help defray the costs of student loan repayment for primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who work in Rhode Island. The Wavemaker program provides a state tax credit equal to the participant’s minimum monthly student loan payments for up to four years. The new legislation will add $500,000 to the Wavemaker program specifically reserved for primary care providers.
According to statistics, Rhode Island is facing a shortage of approximately 100 primary care providers by 2030, which is enough to cause one in five Rhode Islanders to be unable to find a primary care provider. The HEALTH initiative aims to increase the number of primary care providers by 1,000 over the next decade through various measures, including targeted recruitment and training efforts, the creation of educational programs, and the promotion of primary care careers.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
