Governor McKee Awards $6.7 Million in Grants to Bolster Rhode Island’s Primary Care Community

PROVIDENCE, RI — Today, Governor Dan McKee and his Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) announced $6.7 million in grants awarded to support 85 primary care practices across Rhode Island.

“Access to quality care starts with strong primary care,” said Governor Dan McKee. “That’s why my administration is focused on supporting the recruitment and retention of primary care providers and increasing access to serve more Rhode Islanders. This work is central to our RI 2030 goal of building a healthier state for all.”

Primary care providers were invited to apply for grants across three tiers, representing different criteria:

• Tier 1: Primary care practices agree to and demonstrate that they have accepted new patients onto their patient panel.
• Tier 2: The primary care practices will recruit new primary care physicians or mid-level providers, such as Nurse Practitioners or Physician’s Assistants, to the Rhode Island primary care workforce.
• Tier 3: Primary care provider and/or practice that enrolls as a new Medicaid Provider in the Rhode Island Medicaid program.

Tier 1 and Tier 2 awards are listed in the chart below. Providers who applied for a grant through Tier 3—enrolling as a new Medicaid partner—will only be notified if they are awarded funding upon their successful enrollment in Medicaid on or before September 1, 2025. To learn more about the three tiers, click here.

“Primary care is the foundation of preventive care and overall positive health outcomes,” said EOHHS Secretary Richard Charest. “These grants will support 85 primary care practices in Rhode Island to expand their practices so they can see more patients, which, in turn, will ease the burden on Rhode Islanders seeking access to primary care.”

“The mission of Rhode Island’s Medicaid program, which provides coverage to one in three Rhode Islanders, is to improve access to care for our state’s most vulnerable communities,” said Rhode Island Medicaid Director Kristin Pono Sousa. “We understand that even when people have access to health insurance, they still experience barriers to care. By providing funds to bolster primary care in our state, RI Medicaid is reinforcing our commitment to ensuring every family in Rhode Island can live a healthy life.”

In addition to this grant opportunity, Governor McKee, joined by members of his State Health Care System Planning Cabinet, recently announced the following strategic actions to strengthen Rhode Island’s primary care system:

• Accelerating the Medicaid rate review for primary care
• Requiring commercial health insurers to increase primary care funding
• Easing prior authorization requirements
• Expanding the primary care student loan forgiveness program

Rhode Island, like many other states, has seen a continuing decline in the primary care workforce in recent years; primary care providers are retiring, and the pipeline to replace them is limited.