KINGSTON, R.I., Feb. 16, 2026 — The University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees has formally expressed its vote of confidence in a state legislative commission’s recommendation to establish a public medical school at URI, citing the critical need to address Rhode Island’s shortage of primary care physicians.
The vote, taken during the board’s regular meeting on Friday, Feb. 13, passed unanimously among those voting, with one abstention.
The vote affirms support for the report of the Rhode Island Senate Special Legislative Commission, which examined the state of primary care in Rhode Island, strategies for educating and retaining primary care physicians, and the creation of a new-generation state medical school.
The commission studied the issue for more than a year, conducting public hearings, gathering expert testimony, analyzing data, and consulting stakeholders across the state. Its final report included a feasibility study by independent consulting firm Tripp Umbach, which concluded that a medical school at URI is achievable, economically beneficial to the state, and would help address the state’s primary care physician shortage.
Co-chaired by Sen. Pamela Lauria and URI President Marc Parlange, the commission voted unanimously, 15–0, on Jan. 27, 2026, to recommend the creation of a medical school at URI.
“As the state’s flagship public research university, the University of Rhode Island is deeply committed to addressing the most pressing challenges facing our state,” Parlange said following the commission’s vote in January. “Through the expertise of our faculty, our academic programs, research, and partnerships, URI is advancing the physical and mental health of individuals and communities in Rhode Island and around the world. Establishing a medical school at URI is a natural and strategic extension of this work—one that is both realistic and a sound investment. It would help address Rhode Island’s primary care shortage while strengthening our state’s economy.”
The Board of Trustees also pledged to continue working collaboratively with elected officials and other stakeholders as the next phase of the process moves forward, with a focus on financial feasibility and broader economic implications.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I extend sincere thanks to the Senate special commission for its diligent work and to the many Rhode Islanders who offered their perspectives during the past year,” said Board of Trustees Chair Margo Cook, who also served on the special legislative commission. “The board looks forward to ongoing collaboration with our elected leaders as URI continues to be a central partner in addressing the state’s most pressing public health issues.”
“Rhode Island is one of the last states without a public medical school option,” Sen. Lauria, a primary care nurse practitioner with decades of health-care experience, said in a release following the legislative commission’s unanimous vote. “This impedes Rhode Island students’ access to medical school, and ultimately it is detrimental to Rhode Islanders’ access to care, particularly primary care. As one of the leading public universities in New England, URI is well-positioned to take this on, and establishing a medical school there will provide transformative benefits to primary care, health care as a whole, and our state’s economy. A medical school at URI is an extremely worthy investment that will benefit all Rhode Islanders.”