PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee and the R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services are providing $7.5 million in federal relief dollars to fund grants for Rhode Island pediatricians who were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding will be provided through the R.I. Rebounds program as part of the $119 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding that was approved by the General Assembly and signed into law by McKee on Jan. 4.
The size of the relief grants for each pediatric practice was not immediately disclosed by the governor’s administration.
The R.I. Rebounds program is part of a 10% investment of the state’s receipt of $1.1 billion in American Rescue Plan State Fiscal Recovery Funds that is designated for aiding Rhode Island’s economic recovery.
The pediatric grant program, administered by the R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services, is accepting applications for grant assistance for non-federally qualified health center pediatric practices, family medicine practices, or any other practice that provides primary care to Rhode Island Medicaid-covered children, with a subspecialty in pediatrics or family medicine.
The governor said that it is vital that Rhode Island’s recovery from the pandemic includes getting children and youths back on track with their medical and mental health care.
“I thank the General Assembly for approving my administration’s Rhode Island Rebounds proposal and encourage pediatricians to take advantage of this important funding,” he said.
The funding from the R.I. Rebounds program is meant to incentivize pediatric primary care practices to ensure all children are up to date with the full array of preventive health care services, including developmental, psychosocial and behavioral screenings.
The federal funding will support staff retention, extended work hours, outreach, and additional family support such as social workers, ensuring that families have the medical care they need.
The McKee administration said that because of the public health emergency, many children could not access regular preventative primary care. The state also needed to ensure that pediatric practices have the resources needed to support COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts.
Womazetta Jones, secretary of the R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services, said the appropriation of the funding will allow pediatricians to strengthen their practices, improve immunization rates and overcome COVID-19-related barriers to access.
“The social and economic repercussions of the pandemic, and their corresponding effects on the physical and mental health of our state’s children, cannot be overstated,” she said. “We need to ensure that our pediatricians are best positioned to support the needs of all children and families.”
The R.I. EOHHS will make every effort to disburse the first grant payment to qualifying providers by March 31. The grant funding payments will coincide with Medicaid fee-for-service payment cycles.
Eligible pediatricians and family practices can learn more about the funding, and access the application here. Applications are due on March 9 by 5 p.m.
Cassius Shuman is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Shuman@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @CassiusShuman.
