Some state lawmakers are floating the idea of establishing a state medical school that would be a more-affordable alternative to Brown University and might ease persistent staffing shortages in the local health care sector.
Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School is the state’s only medical school, and while it has a strong reputation, the school doesn’t train many Rhode Islanders, Sen. Pamela Lauria, D-Barrington, said at a recent Providence Business News health care summit.
In addition, Rhode Island has low Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates, which spurs many new doctors coming out of medical school with debt to opt to practice in states where rates are higher and the pay for doctors may be higher.
“We need to make sure that we have a place that’s affordable for Rhode Islanders to get that education,” Lauria said.
In a statement to PBN, Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio said establishing a state medical school is an “intriguing idea that warrants further exploration.
“We are presently in preliminary discussions regarding next steps to explore its feasibility,” Ruggerio said.
Stacy Paterno, executive vice president of the Rhode Island Medical Society, says it’s a welcome idea.
She notes that Rhode Island has struggled to retain medical students trained at the Alpert Medical School, but if there were more Rhode Islanders attending a public medical school, there’s a greater chance they’d stay.
It’s a big undertaking that would take many years to complete, Paterno says. But if state leaders and schools are on board, she says, Rhode Island is well positioned to establish a medical school – the University of Rhode Island already has health care programs such as its well-regarded School of Pharmacy and School of Nursing, making it a good fit to house state medical school.
Dave Lavallee, URI spokesperson, said in a statement the school is aware of Ruggerio’s interest and has been approached by several lawmakers about how URI can help address the state’s health care needs.
“We are dedicated to broadening our impact for the good of the state,” Lavallee said. “We are actively listening to those who think a public medical school would be of benefit to Rhode Islanders, and we look forward to partnering with elected officials and health care leaders on collective efforts to enhance health and wellness across Rhode Island.”
A spokesperson for Rhode Island College declined to comment.
Meanwhile, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi was noncommittal, saying establishing a state medical school would take a lot of state dollars.
“Given the health care challenges we are facing, this is an idea to think about in the future,” Shekarchi said in a statement. “Currently, there are no plans that we are aware of, but it would require a significant allocation of state funding.”
Paterno says another key aspect to consider is which hospitals medical students would use to complete their residency training. Brown has affiliations with several Lifespan Corp. and Care New England Health System hospitals. Boston University’s medical school has also been affiliated with Roger Williams Medical Center, which is run by CharterCARE Health Partners.
Care New England and Brown University declined to comment. CharterCARE and Lifespan did not immediately respond to requests for comment
Both Lauria and Paterno say another, more affordable option would be for the state to essentially buy slots in neighboring states’ medical schools to be reserved for Rhode Island students. This is something several other states have already implemented and can be done in a way where students would pay a rate very similar to in-state tuition.
