RI Puts $2.4M Towards Training New Primary Care Doctors, Nurses

RHODE ISLAND — Rhode Island will make up to $90,000 in grant funding available to primary care doctors' offices across the state to support training and mentoring the Ocean State's next generation of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, Gov. Dan McKee said Tuesday.

The Rhode Island Department of Health Primary Care Training Sites Program began accepting applications this week. This program is being supported by $2.7 million in state funding.

"The Primary Care Training Sites Program is one of many steps we are taking across our administration to bolster primary care in Rhode Island," McKee said. "Accessible, quality primary care can lower rates of chronic conditions, lessen the burden on our hospital system, and bring down Rhode Island's overall healthcare costs in line with the goals of our RI 2030 plan."

In his budget this year, McKee proposed additional measures to strengthen Rhode Island's primary care workforce. These include increasing investments in the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program and recommending that primary care provider reimbursement rates be reviewed by the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner as part of its upcoming evaluation in September 2027. McKee said these efforts are a crucial step toward fostering a more competitive primary care job market in Rhode Island.

"Primary care is the backbone of the healthcare system in Rhode Island," RIDOH Director Jerry Larkin said. "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."

The program is being run in partnership with the Care Transformation Collaborative of Rhode Island. The collaborative works to pilot and support initiatives and programs statewide aimed at improving and transforming primary care. Examples of initiatives include integrating behavioral health into primary care and community-focused care support for children and families.

CTC-RI is developing the program curriculum that will be used to train students.

"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," CTC-RI Executive Director Debra Hurwitz said. "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."

The program aims to expand interdisciplinary clinical training at advanced primary care sites. The program also aims to increase Rhode Island's training capacity by 50 percent 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.

Learn more about the program here.

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