| R 385 |
| 2024 -- S 3165 Enacted 06/13/2024 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| CREATING A SPECIAL COMMISSION TO MAKE A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF RHODE ISLAND'S HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE RELATED TO EDUCATING AND RETAINING PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS AND ESTABLISHING A STATE MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Senators Sosnowski, Ruggerio, Lauria, DiMario, Pearson, Felag, F. Lombardi, Gu, de la Cruz, and Britto |
| Date Introduced: June 13, 2024 |
| WHEREAS, Nationally the demand for primary care physicians continues to increase, |
| however, less than one-third of the national physician workforce represents individuals in the |
| primary care sector; and |
| WHEREAS, Rhode Island is experiencing a net loss of primary care clinicians and |
| anticipates this shortage to worsen in the years ahead; and |
| WHEREAS, Rhode Island residents are struggling to find primary care physicians |
| resulting in the use of community health centers and urgent care facilities to meet their medical |
| needs; and |
| WHEREAS, Increased utilization of these health care facilities strains resources and |
| creates additional pressure on our healthcare system; and |
| WHEREAS, While Rhode Island is home to a private medical school, no new medical |
| schools have been established in the State since 1972; and |
| WHEREAS, Rhode Island struggles to retain primary care physicians upon graduation |
| and offsets these loses with physicians moving into the State; and |
| WHEREAS, Rhode Island must look toward the creation of a college of medicine to train |
| and retain the next generation of primary care physicians; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created |
| consisting of twenty-one (21) members: all of whom shall 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 physicians and |
| establishing a state medical school at the University of Rhode Island. |
| By August 1, 2024, upon passage of the 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, and a co-chair, who shall be the President of the University of |
| Rhode Island, or designee. |
| 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 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 submit its findings and |
| recommendations to the Senate no later than by January 2, 2026, and said commission shall |
| expire on January 31, 2026. |
| ======== |
| LC006260 |
| ======== |