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5/21/2026
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Senate establishes primary care workforce commission
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STATE HOUSE – The Senate today approved a resolution sponsored by Sen. Pamela J. Lauria to establish a permanent commission to explore ways to support retention of the state’s primary care workforce and strengthen graduate medical education programs.
The bill is part of the Senate’s 17-bill package of healthcare legislation centered on supporting Rhode Islanders in crisis, protecting patients and providers and strengthening the state’s health workforce.
The creation of the commission was one of the recommendations of a previous study commission Senator Lauria led last year. That commission studied issues related to the primary care workforce, including the potential establishment of a medical school at University of Rhode Island, which it also recommended.
“As the work of our previous commission was coming to an end, it became apparent that there was so much more work to do in addressing the barriers to building the primary care workforce,” said Senator Lauria (D-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol, East Providence). “We need to focus on establishing more graduate medical education opportunities here, because when people train here, they are more likely to stay and work here.”
The previous commission recommended in its final report that this commission’s initial charge should be “to review evidence and develop a comprehensive graduate medical education and workforce strategy to produce and retain skilled and committed primary care clinicians, along with the public policies needed to support that strategy.” It suggested expanding residency and fellowship opportunities within Rhode Island’s hospital systems, community health centers and federally qualified health center networks.
Under the resolution (2026-S 3057), this commission would be permanent, not a time-limited study commission. In addition to developing recommendations for establishing and financing sufficient primary care graduate medical education resources in the state, the resolution requires it to provide annual reports 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 as well as an annual report on the status of Rhode Island’s primary care institutional and clinical education resources and the programs supporting these students financially.
The commission will examine the entire primary care workforce, including physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
The 17-member commission would be made up of legislators, leaders from medical schools in the state and representatives of associations of medical professions, primary care providers and community nonprofits.
As a Senate resolution, the resolution does not require approval from the House of Representatives.
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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