PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s already challenged health care system could face even more obstacles depending on federal policy shifts, according to Dr. Michael Wagner, CEO and president of Care New England Health System.
“We’re still in crisis,” Wagner said. “We could be heading to a catastrophe."
Wagner was one of six panelists at Providence Business News' Health Care Summit and Health Care Heroes Awards event on Wednesday morning, where the discussion touched upon several topics related to health care, including workforce challenges, access, affordability and inequities.
And there was talk about how what's happening with the federal government will affect health care locally.
Rhode Island and several other states have already seen cuts in federal funding for research and public health programs. Further hits to health care funding could mean some programs and resources may need to get cut, the panelists said. This makes it even more important for health care leaders across the state to work together and avoid competing with one another.
“Us coming together to figure out how we can collaborate and how we can focus on what we need to get done is one of the ways we're going to do this,” Wagner said during the panel discussion at the Providence Marriott. “I will tell you that every health system executive today is looking through their portfolio and saying, ‘We have to make cuts. Where are we going to make them?’ ”
Linda Hurley, CEO and president of CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, agreed. She noted that CODAC treats about half of the state’s patients seeking substance use treatment and 93% of those patients are Medicaid recipients.
“Collaboration is the only answer,” Hurley said.
Also, while Rhode Island finds itself competing with surrounding states to attract staff and resources, its challenges aren’t unique, said Dr. Raj Hazarika, chief medical officer for commercial products at Point32Health. That’s why it’s also important for Rhode Island to collaborate with other New England states, including neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut.
“Rather than each state coming up with unique solutions, which, of course, there's a need for because there are nuances to the different circumstances, there are also benefits in looking beyond a state's borders,” Hazarika said. “There are some regional solutions which might be possible.”
However, Rhode Island is unique as it does not have a prospective comprehensive health care program, said Gregory Mercurio, senior vice president of radiation oncology at American Shared Hospital Services and CEO of Precision Radiation Oncology of Rhode Island.
This kind of planning, along with collaboration, is crucial to fixing the state’s health care shortfalls.
“If you don't have a plan, you don't know what you need. If you don't know what you need, you can't supply it,” Mercurio said.
While it's unclear whether there is a single set of data documenting the number of available primary care providers in the state, panelists agreed that the state is in the midst of a primary care crisis.
"All of us in our personal lives and our business lives have known the difficulty of getting ... primary care physicians," Mercurio said.
He's noticed more primary care physicians switching to concierge care, where they can usually earn more money, but that type of care is too expensive for many patients to access.
As the state looks for more collaboration within health care, leaders must be aware of the importance of compensating employees.
"We have to be practical, and it is all about being able to give someone the monetary value of their work," Hurley said."
Other panelists included Peter Marino, CEO and president of Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island; and Joseph Trunzo, founding associate director of Bryant University's School of Health and Behavioral Sciences and a professor of psychology.
Also on Wednesday, 18 health care professionals were recognized by PBN as the 2025 Health Care Heroes. The honorees were chosen from a pool of applicants and are recognized for their work in making a difference in health care in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts across 17 categories.
Dr. Angela Caliendo, executive vice chair of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Brown Medicine, was named the 2025
Career Achiever. Profiles of the honorees will be published in a special section included in the April 11-24 print edition of PBN.
The other honorees recognized Wednesday are:
Achievement in Health Care Prevention: Dr. Eugenio Fernandez, Asthenis founder.
Community Outreach – Individual: Gregory Mercurio
, American Shared Hospital Services/Precision Radiation Oncology of Rhode Island senior vice president of radiation oncology.
Community Outreach – Organization: Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Johnston.
First Responder – Individual: Kim LaFountain, Brown University Health behavioral education development specialist and mental health counselor.
First Responder – Organization: Charlestown Ambulance Rescue Services.
Health Care Administrator: Jillian Roy, The Providence Center president.
Health Care Educator: Lisa Wasson, HopeHealth community nurse educator.
Health Care Innovator: Katelyn Holt, KOLT Innovations LLC owner, CEO and nurse.
Mental Health Provider/Advocate – Individual: Katie Hansen, Thrive Behavioral Health Inc. program manager, substance adult general outpatient services.
Mental Health Provider/Advocate –
Organization: Tides Family Services
, Tides Children’s Mobile Response and Stabilization Services.
Nurse Practitioner: Julie L’Europa, PACE Organization of Rhode Island nurse practitioner.
Nurse: Justin Millan, HopeHealth registered nurse.
Pharmacist: Mark Rogers, Westerly Hospital pharmacist.
Physical Therapy: Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung, Rhode Island Hospital physical therapist.
Physicians:
- Dr. Katheen Gordon, Atwood Medical Associates doctor of osteopathic medicine and internist.
- Dr. Preston Douglas, Newport Hospital neurologist and neurophysiologist.
Volunteer: Dr. Mary McCabe, Rhode Island Free Clinic volunteer dental director.
