R.I. Foundation awards $2.7M in grants from its Fund for a Healthy Rhode Island

THE RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION has awarded $2.7 million in grants from its Fund for a Healthy Rhode Island to improve the quality and affordability of health care in Rhode Island. Pictured is Rhode Island Foundation President & CEO Neil D. Steinberg. / COURTESY STEW MILNE
THE RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION has awarded $2.7 million in grants from its Fund for a Healthy Rhode Island to improve the quality and affordability of health care in Rhode Island. Pictured is Rhode Island Foundation President & CEO Neil D. Steinberg. / COURTESY STEW MILNE

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Foundation has awarded $2.7 million in grants from its Fund for a Healthy Rhode Island to improve the quality and affordability of health care in Rhode Island.
“Quality, affordable primary care is one of our priorities,” Neil D. Steinberg, the foundation’s president and CEO, said. “Our goal is to test models that have the potential to be scaled up. By encouraging imaginative thinking around delivery and administration, we can ensure Rhode Islanders will continue to have access to the health care they need.”
“It’s easier to make it in Rhode Island when you have high-quality, affordable health care,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Elizabeth Roberts. “The varied and innovative programs receiving this new funding strongly reflect the direction the state is heading as we work to build a better, more sustainable health care system in Rhode Island.”
Care New England Health Care System received $520,000 to develop a Medicaid Accountable Care Organization that will more effectively manage the physical and behavioral health of Medicaid patients in Rhode Island. Partners include Integra Community Care Network, Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corp., South County Hospital, federally qualified health centers, the Rhode Island Medicaid office, the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and others.
“This is a timely initiative that directly addresses the state’s focus on ensuring access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries while curbing rising per-capita Medicaid costs. We look forward to working with the Rhode Island Foundation as well as our partners to undertake this effort,” Dennis D. Keefe, president and CEO of Care New England, said.
Blackstone Valley Community Health Care received $200,000 to develop a community health record program in partnership with TriTown Health Center, Memorial Hospital of R.I. and Women’s Care.
The Care Transformation Collaborative received $600,000 to launch an integrated behavioral health program, which will add a behavioral health clinician to the primary care practice team.
The Rhode Island Health Center Association received $300,000 to research developing the state’s first Medicaid primary care-led partnership for accountable care to improve care coordination and delivery by holding providers financially accountable for the health of their patients.
The Rhode Island Quality Institute received $500,000 to enable primary care physicians to share information regarding hospital use by high-risk patients.
In addition, $600,000 is earmarked for continuing a loan forgiveness program for primary care providers practicing in medically underserved areas of Rhode Island.
This is the third time the foundation has made awards through its FFHRI. The inaugural round of grants awarded $1.6 million to eight projects in 2009. Seven proposals received $1.8 million in 2012.

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