Care New England to keep 200 jobs, primary care, walk-in clinic at Memorial site

CARE NEW ENGLAND announced 200 jobs will stay at the Memorial Hospital site after the hospital closes. / COURTESY CARE NEW ENGLAND
CARE NEW ENGLAND announced 200 jobs will stay at the Memorial Hospital site after the hospital closes. / COURTESY CARE NEW ENGLAND

PAWTUCKET — The United Nurses and Allied Professionals Local 5082 has withdrawn its Superior Court suit seeking delay of Care New England’s closing of Memorial Hospital as the parties announced a deal keeping 200 jobs at the Pawtucket location as it transitions to a family care and internal medicine facility including a walk-in clinic.

Services and professionals remaining at the 111 Brewster St. location will include primary care physicians and nurse practitioners, ancillary services such as x-ray, mammograms and phlebotomy, and a walk-in clinic.

“We are pleased that this agreement creates a tangible plan for the continuation of important healthcare services and jobs in Pawtucket and the Blackstone Valley,” said Chris Callaci, UNAP general counsel. “Part of the agreement requires the parties to actively work with local officials in reaching out ot the community to advance this model and the UNAP looks forward to doing its part,” Callaci said.

A statement from Care New England on the plan attributed the agreement to the hard work of key  state officials, as well as those in the cities of Pawtucket and Central Falls, United Nurses & Allied Professionals Local 5082, CNE, and local stakeholders.

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“Today’s update to the community represents the collaboration and determination of CNE, the Governor’s Office, the Mayor of Pawtucket, and representatives from the union to ensure a comprehensive plan of care is developed and implemented. As we move forward with this plan, we do so with a patient- and community-centered focus demonstrating our commitment to the Blackstone Valley and health care throughout the entire state. This means we must adapt to the changes by moving towards the future of health care,” said James E. Fanale, executive vice president, chief operating officer, and chief clinical officer at Care New England.

The parties released the following details of the plan:

Family Care and Internal Medicine Centers:  Primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants will provide comprehensive health care services in an outpatient clinic setting, providing care for non-emergency health conditions.

These services will include the Family Care Center’s nutritionist and psychologist, as well as preventive care and coordination of specialty care. The Family Care and Internal Medicine Centers have about 20,000 primary care patient visits per year.

Ancillary Services:  Services commonly associated with primary care practices, such as plain-film X-rays (chest films and bone x-rays), mammograms, and phlebotomy services (blood draws for lab work), will remain. CNE also plans a diabetes education program.

Physician Specialties: CNE pediatrics and pediatric neurodevelopment practices will stay at 555 Prospect St. in Pawtucket, subject to retaining grant funding associated with research in pediatric neurodevelopment.

CNE also expects to offer rotating physician specialty consultations at its primary care site in Pawtucket, to complement the primary care practice.

Other planned specialties include oncology, cardiology (including some cardiology testing), dermatology, pulmonary medicine, sleep medicine, and general and orthopedic surgery. CNE will also continue anticoagulation/Coumadin clinic services as currently provided.

Walk-in Clinic Services: CNE plans to provide walk-in services for community members who need ready access to health care but not hospital-level care.

Many patients using emergency departments do not require hospital-level care, the statement said. CNE said it hopes to serve patients who would otherwise have sought emergency department treatment for ailments such as cuts, sprains and strains, cold, flu, and headaches.

The planned walk-in clinic will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays. The clinic will be open to the general public, not just existing patients of CNE physician practices, the statement read. Prospective patients will not be turned away based on insurance or ability to pay, according to the statement.

Residencies:  CNE intends to transfer Family Care and Internal Medicine Centers now serving as training sites for residency programs affiliated with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University at Memorial to Kent Hospital.

The transfer requires approval by both the American College of Graduate Medical Education and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as well as by the Warren Alpert Medical School. Should those approvals happen, physician practice-based training for these residencies would continue to be performed in the Pawtucket location.

There are 39 family medicine residents and 30 internal medicine residents training in these residency programs. CNE said it is working with Brown and the other providers of residency education to assure as many slots as possible remain in Rhode Island. CNE said its ability to retain these residencies will be key to plans to continue services in Pawtucket.

Rob Borkowski is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Borkowski@PBN.com.

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