WEST WARWICK – In an effort to increase the number of health care workers in Rhode Island, U.S. Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., delivered $1.5 million in federal funding for Thundermist Health Center’s clinical workforce development programs.
Nearly 1 out of every 5 Rhode Islanders doesn’t have a primary care provider, and those who do are left waiting months for an appointment because of the number of health care professionals who left the workforce after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news release.
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“The impact of the workforce development programs has been extraordinary,” said Jeanne LaChance, CEO and president of Thundermist Health Center. “These programs are making a difference for so many people. They’re helping Rhode Islanders get the care they need. More people are prepared for good jobs with great benefits and steady employment. And health professionals have the opportunities they need to advance their careers.”
The federal funding for Thundermist, a nonprofit community health center that treated almost 58,000 patients in 2022, was secured in the fiscal year 2023 Consolidated Appropriations law and has helped foster and expand partnerships with the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and Community College of Rhode Island.
“This federal funding will help strengthen Thundermist’s ability to provide affordable care for Rhode Islanders and it will help bolster health care across Rhode Island by creating a new, innovative workforce development pipeline for the next generation of health care workers in our state,” Reed said.
In the first year, Thundermist’s workforce development programs trained 62 health care professionals and 145 student nurses for jobs in numerous health care fields.
The training supported through the funding includes:
- Financial support for the costs of certifications and training.
- Paid stipends to employees working full time while earning their credentials.
- Partnerships with higher education providers in Rhode Island to create a bridge from classroom learning to hands-on application of skills.
- Partnerships with specialty health service providers to expand provider knowledge in specialized fields of care.
“When health care facilities aren’t able to hire enough staff, patients experience long wait times and health care workers get burned out,” Whitehouse said. “Senator Reed and I delivered this earmark to get more Rhode Islanders into these in-demand jobs and build up the state’s health care workforce. Thundermist continues to do excellent work in partnership with URI, RIC and CCRI to train the next generation of nurses and health care professionals.”
The funding has also increased Thundermist’s capacity to introduce new training programs internally and with partners, including the development of a Family Medicine Physician Residency program; expanding the URI College of Nursing curriculum to include primary care; training for new nurse preceptors to expand the capacity for new students; providing incumbent workers’ bachelor’s degree completion in behavioral health; and strengthening recruitment efforts through in-house training for dental and medical assistants.
Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com.
