Roberts starts ‘Healthy Rhode Island’ campaign

PROVIDENCE – In a public effort to reimagine the way that state keeps its residents healthy, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts recently kicked off “Healthy Rhode Island.” The new initiative seeks to develop a plan for Rhode Island’s health care system of the future.
The effort is being supported with a $1.6 million grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s State Innovation Model program.
The six-month effort will be led by The Advisory Board Co., and will seek to bring together providers, insurers, consumers, government and community leaders in a series of intensive working groups. The goal is to develop a statewide health care innovation plan that will be eligible for additional federal funding for implementation.
One of the ideas that will be considered as part of the ongoing process is the proposal by Dr. Michael Fine, director of the R.I. Department of Health, to create a Primary Care Trust, supporting primary care, patient-centered medical homes throughout the state.
“We are already seeing the move away from traditional ‘fee-for-service’ with some of our providers, and where that is happening, patients are happier, health outcomes are better, and cost trends are moderating,” Roberts said. “Now is the time to capitalize on the opportunity, with the support of the federal government, to set our health system on the path to the future.” •