Senate commission, URI launch study to examine feasibility of state’s first public medical school

Senate commission and University of Rhode Island will partner with Tripp Umbach, one of the nation’s foremost medical education consultants, to conduct the study

KINGSTON, R.I. — Feb. 3, 2025 — A Rhode Island State Senate study commission and the University of Rhode Island will partner with one of the nation’s leading medical education consultants to study the feasibility of launching the Ocean State’s first public medical school.

Following a competitive request process, Tripp Umbach has been selected to lead the feasibility study.

The study follows the formation of a Rhode Island State Senate special commission, appointed by Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio in July and co-chaired by URI President Marc Parlange and Sen. Pamela J. Lauria. The commission is charged with studying the state’s health care workforce with a focus on educating and retaining primary care physicians, as well as examining how a medical school at URI could help alleviate that critical need.

“Few issues are as important as health care, and right now, our health care system is in critical condition,” Ruggerio said when appointing the commission. “Strengthening the primary-care pipeline is an essential part of our work to make health care more accessible and affordable for Rhode Islanders.”

Tripp Umbach is a nationally regarded firm with leadership in economic impact studies and consultation services for academic medical campuses and medical schools. Over the past three decades, the firm has measured the economic impact of all U.S. allopathic medical schools and more than 400 teaching hospitals for the Association of American Medical Colleges.

“We are excited to partner with such an experienced firm as Tripp Umbach,” said Barbara Wolfe, URI provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “They have worked extensively with both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. This includes public universities with medical schools centered on primary and community care, such as the University of Houston and Washington State University.”

As part of the study, Tripp Umbach will collaborate with a broad range of stakeholders throughout the state, including local and statewide health care organizations, federal and state agencies, research institutions, medical education providers, and policymakers and professional associations. Their collective input will help shape the study’s direction and outcomes.

Complementing the work of the Senate Commission, the study will evaluate the need and feasibility of developing a medical education program at URI, recently named the number one public university in New England by The Wall Street Journal. The study will also examine and make recommendations regarding workforce development, medical school models, enrollment projections, accreditation standards, financial viability and required resources, capacity to support clinical training, and medical research opportunities.

“Through numerous undergraduate and graduate programs in health care fields, including several that are nationally ranked, URI is enhancing the physical and mental health of individuals and communities locally and globally,” said Parlange. “We are dedicated to broadening our impact for the good of the state, and we look forward to partnering with health care providers and elected officials to examine the need for and feasibility of a public medical school for the benefit of all Rhode Islanders.”

Rhode Island is experiencing a net loss of primary care clinicians, and the shortage is expected to worsen in the years ahead. The inability of many Rhode Island residents to find primary care physicians is resulting in the use of community health centers and urgent care facilities to meet their medical needs, which strains resources and creates additional pressures on the health care system.

“As a double alumna of the University of Rhode Island, I am proud to co-chair the Senate commission, which could help reshape the future of higher education at the University,” said Sen. Lauria. “The central question before our commission is how we can best address the serious challenges facing primary care in our state. Rhode Island is on track to be short about 100 primary care providers by 2030, which could leave 180,000 Rhode Islanders without access to primary care coverage. It is imperative that we act thoughtfully, expeditiously, and decisively to strengthen the primary care workforce and pipeline in Rhode Island.”

While Rhode Island is home to a private medical school, no new medical schools have been established in the state since 1972 and no public medical school exists in the state.

The final feasibility report is expected in June 2025. The special commission is scheduled to issue its recommendations to the Senate no later than Dec. 20, 2025.

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