RI Health Care System Planning

This page has information about the RI Health Care System Planning Cabinet and the EOHHS Independent Advisory Council.

On February 23, 2024, Governor Dan McKee signed an Executive Order establishing a State Health Care System Planning (HCSP) Cabinet that will take a unified, interdepartmental approach to evaluating and proposing recommendations for Rhode Island’s health care system.

“All Rhode Islanders deserve access to quality health care. As part of my administration’s Rhode Island 2030 Plan, we have prioritized strengthening our state’s health care system in ways that better support affordable and accessible services to maximize health outcomes for all Rhode Islanders,” said Governor Dan McKee. “My administration has provided millions of dollars to our state’s health care system, including $135 million in my FY25 budget proposal to improve reimbursement rates and strengthen behavioral health care. The Health Care System Planning Cabinet will solicit feedback from a variety of stakeholders to develop the best path forward for Rhode Islanders.”

Like many states, Rhode Island’s health care system is challenged by misaligned rates, workforce shortages, and disparities in access, quality, and outcomes for the most vulnerable communities. The HCSP Cabinet will make recommendations focused on improving quality, affordability, and equity across the continuum of care to ensure Rhode Islanders have access to a health care system aligned with current and future needs. The Cabinet will integrate oversight and accountability of the health care system using data and make recommendations for establishing a framework for regulating and overseeing the entire system of care.

The planning effort will be led by the state and will include and align closely with the private sector, community partners, and health care consumers throughout the process.

HCSP Cabinet Membership

Richard Charest, Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Ana Novais, Assistant Secretary of Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Kristin Sousa, Medicaid Program Director 
Dr. Jerome Larkin, MD, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health 
Kimberly Merolla-Brito, Director of the Department of Human Services 
Richard, Leclerc, Director of the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals
Ashley Deckert, Director of the Department of Children, Youth and Families
Maria Cimini, Director of the Office of Healthy Aging
Kasim Yarn, Director of the Office of Veterans Services
Matthew Weldon, Director of the Department of Labor and Training
Cory King, Health Insurance Commissioner
Shannon Gilkey, Postsecondary Education Commissioner
Lindsay Lang, Director of HealthSource RI

Cabinet Meeting Materials

March 21, 2024

April 30, 2024

June 6, 2024

August 1, 2024

EOHHS Independent Advisory Council Background and Meeting Materials

The main goal for the EOHHS Independent Advisory Council is for it to provide insights and expertise to the HCSP Cabinet, including recommendations on planning priorities, access to data and information, reflections on questions that Cabinet members develop, and ongoing feedback on consultant activities. The Advisory Council’s membership – including existing planning tables, community coalitions, and expert community partners – will be a critical component of the State’s planning process.

Meeting Materials:

March 28, 2024

April 30, 2024

May 22, 2024

Health Care System Planning Work Group Information

Click here to view the Health Care System Planning Work Group Structure and Membership.

Work Group	Behavioral Health	Health-Related Social Needs	Hospitals	Long-Term Care & Healthy Aging	Oral Health Care	Primary Care
Date of next meeting	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
Time
Link for Meeting Details	Click here.	Click here.	Click here.	Click here.	Click here.	Click here.
Materials for October 2024 Work Group Meeting	Agenda Deck Minutes	Agenda Deck Minutes	Agenda Deck Appendix Minutes	Agenda Deck Appendix Minutes	Agenda Deck	Agenda Deck Minutes
Materials from September 2024 Work Group Meeting	Agenda Deck Minutes	Agenda Deck Minutes	Agenda Deck Appendix Minutes	Agenda Deck Minutes		Agenda Deck Minutes

EOHHS Health Workforce Data Dashboard

The Rhode Island Health Workforce Data Dashboard was created by the EOHHS Data Ecosystem in 2024. The Dashboard enables healthcare providers, educators, policymakers, and others to review and analyze data that provides a detailed understanding of the State’s licensed health professional workforce. The following data elements can be searched and filtered via the Dashboard from 2010 through the present:

Number of licensees
Number and percentage of licensees employed in a healthcare setting in Rhode Island
Number and percentage of licensees employed in any setting in Rhode Island
Race & ethnicity
Gender
Average age
Median annual earnings
Setting (ie, type of employer)
Education and training providers
Career progressions (CNA, LPN, and RN)

Please direct questions and comments about the Health Workforce Data Dashboard to Rick.Brooks@ohhs.ri.gov.