RI Top Doctor Chan Raises Questions About Disturbing Trends in RI’s Healthcare System
RI Top Doctor Chan Raises Questions About Disturbing Trends in RI’s Healthcare System
“Well, it makes me sad to hear that both clinics and hospitals continue to struggle. I think it's a huge problem. I think it's getting a lot of attention, and I think that more and more people are paying attention including state leaders… and I'm very hopeful that things move faster," said Dr. Chan in an interview on GoLocal LIVE. "But the whole system is struggling and I see it here at the ground level,”
Struggling - Cuts and Layoffs
“The health care system in Rhode Island has been struggling for a while. There's been a lot of attention about the EDs [emergency department] being filled. You know we had Memorial Hospital closed. I think the COVID pandemic really exacerbated a lot of existing challenges in our system,” said Dr. Chan.
And, he added, “We've seen some of the funding shortfalls after COVID.”
Layoffs and closures have hit Thundermist, Providence Community Healthcare Centers, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Anchor Medical to name but a few. The total layoffs reported are in the hundreds.
“The health care landscape and certainly the financial landscape is really difficult and I say that as someone that runs a community-based clinic here in Rhode Island. It's difficult to predict from one year to another,” said Dr. Chan.
“I know that layoffs are always tough, but you know these are really tough decisions made by senior leadership to ensure the financial sustainability of organizations so as we look at places like Providence Community Health Centers, like other clinics, they're making these decisions to ensure their sustainability,” said Dr. Chan.
Firsthand Impact of Trump’s NIH Cuts
Dr. Chan said the abruptness of the cuts by the Trump administration is causing additional problems and limits the amount of planning can be done.
“I’ve been the recipient of some of those grant cuts, I've myself lost millions of dollars of grants that fund some of our clinical and research infrastructure here at our clinic and elsewhere. So I know firsthand how these cuts have been so challenging,” he said. “You know, one day you just find out that you don't have the grants, and that makes it difficult to plan, and I have had to lay off a couple of people because of that.”
Medicaid Cuts Would Be Devastating
As bad as some of the cuts are now, Dr. Chan warned that cuts by the Trump administration and Congress to Medicaid funding coming to Rhode Island would be devastating.
“As we look forward to the future, there are proposed cuts to Medicaid. Medicaid is so important in general. It is so important in the state of Rhode Island and any cuts at the federal level to Medicaid are really, really going to adversely affect our medical system here in Rhode Island, from our hospitals to our community clinics to our primary care community,” Dr. Chan said.
Importance of CharterCARE
Dr. Chan also discussed the important role that CharterCARE plays in Rhode Island’s healthcare system, and how the closure of Roger Williams and Fatima Hospitals would be disruptive.
Healthcare CEO Salaries
As GoLocal has reported, outgoing Lifespan [now Brown Health] CEO Timothy Babineau received nearly $7 million in compensation just months are the company received tens of millions in federal and state subsidies.
Dr. Chan said it is important to have competitive salaries but there needs to be some fairness in the compensation structures for CEO.
“If the state is chipping in, certainly if the federal government is chipping in to help support these systems, does it make sense to pay millions and millions of dollars for bonuses etc. My personal answer would be no and especially if you're having to fire people or lay off people or not give other people bonuses," he said.
"I really do believe in equity up and down the system from the top to the bottom I try to live that principle myself,” added Dr. Chan.