Creating a Special Legislative Commission to Make a Comprehensive Study of Rhode Island's Healthcare Workforce Related to Educating and Retaining Primary Care Providers

WHEREAS, Nationally the demand for primary care providers continues to increase; however, nearly one-third of Americans do not have a primary care provider; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island residents are struggling to find primary care providers resulting in the use of emergency rooms and urgent care facilities to meet their medical needs; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island has a limited medical education infrastructure which contributes to low rates of provider retention; and

WHEREAS, Workforce retention challenges among primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in Rhode Island signal the importance of coordinated investments in payment, team-based infrastructure, and opportunities for advancement; and

WHEREAS, Despite graduating one hundred and six primary care residents on average in Rhode Island each year, only fifteen graduates plan to stay in state; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island must look toward prioritizing primary care workforce retention and graduate medical education programs for the next generation of primary care residents; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created consisting of seventeen (17) members: four (4) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island Senate, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; two (2) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the Dean of the University of Rhode Island School of Medicine, or designee; one of whom shall be the Dean of the Brown University School of Medicine, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Nurse Practitioner Alliance of Rhode Island; or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island Academy of Physician Assistants, or designee; one of whom shall be President of the Rhode Island Pharmacist Association, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Medical Society; or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Care Transformation Collaborative Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall be a representative from the community health centers, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be a representative of community nonprofits, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; and two (2) of whom shall be representatives of persons with community expertise in primary care, to be appointed by the President of the Senate. The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study of Rhode Island’s healthcare workforce related to educating and retaining primary care providers, including, but not limited to: • Studying and developing recommendations for establishing and financing sufficient primary care graduate medical education resources in the state, leveraging the state’s well- established community health center network; • An annual report on Rhode Islanders’ access to a usual source of care, the number and distribution of primary care clinicians practicing in the state, the numbers entering and leaving practice in the state, and recommendations to ensure all Rhode Islanders report having access to a usual source of care; and • An annual report on the status of Rhode Island’s primary care institutional and clinical education resources and the programs supporting these students financially. Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall be appointed and shall meet at the call of the Senate President and organize and the Senate President shall appoint a chair. Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. The Commission may be allotted annual budget resources to complete these functions. The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the commission shall develop and be ongoing with recommendations submitted annually to the President of the Senate. EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF SENATERESOLUTION CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO MAKE A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF RHODE ISLAND'S HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE RELATED TO EDUCATING AND RETAINING PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS *** This resolution would create a special legislative commission consisting of seventeen (17) members whose purpose it would be to study Rhode Island’s healthcare workforce related to educating and retaining primary care providers and who would report back annually to the President of the Senate.