The following op-ed was published in the Westerly Sun on Sunday, April 19, 2025.
Rhode Island’s eight community health centers provide care to over 200,000 residents—one in every five Rhode Islanders—and are an essential part of Rhode Island’s healthcare delivery system.
Health centers like Wood River Health are often the first stop for individuals seeking primary care, managing chronic conditions, and accessing mental health services. They ensure that vulnerable populations, including low-income families and uninsured individuals, receive the essential care they need. But health centers are now facing an unprecedented financial crisis that is threatening our ability to deliver care.
Without legislative action, community health centers may be forced to close our doors, cut services, or lay off staff. This would leave hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders without access to primary care, flooding already overwhelmed emergency rooms when people simply need basic medical care. Delays in care would lead to worse health outcomes, further straining our health care system and pushing costs higher for all of us.
The threat to our community health centers doesn’t just come from potential Medicaid cuts at the federal level. A funding shortfall in state Medicaid reimbursement rates, coupled with cuts to the 340B program, which provides discounted medications for low-income patients, has left our community health centers in jeopardy.
Legislation has been introduced in the General Assembly that addresses both Medicaid reimbursement (H6046/S0896) and the 340B program (H5634/S0114). The Medicaid rate adjustment would require a $10 million commitment by the state to stabilize this vital health care system, while the 340B fix would not cost taxpayers anything as expenses would be borne by the drug manufacturers.
Anchor Medical Associates announced last week that it is closing as of June 30, 2025. This means that 25,000 Rhode Islanders are now searching for a new provider. We cannot afford to let another 200,000 Rhode Islanders lose their access to primary care. It would put our entire health care system at risk.
I call upon every member of our community to act now to save Rhode Island’s community health centers. Call or write your legislators today, or visit SaveOurHealthCenters.org to join the movement. By doing so, you will be helping to keep health care accessible for all Rhode Islanders.
Alison L. Croke
Hope Valley
Alison L. Croke is president and CEO of the Wood River Health and secretary of the Board of Directors for the Rhode Island Health Center Association.
