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This summer, The Providence Plan is beginning a new project with the Rhode Island Area Health Education Center (AHEC) network, located at Brown Medical School with three community-based centers in northern, central and southern Rhode Island. The RI AHEC Program began in 2005 and is establishing itself as a vital infrastructure designed to provide recruitment, retention and continuing education strategies to the providers and the agencies which serve the most vulnerable of Rhode Island’s citizens. The RI Primary Care Data Mapping Project will create a comprehensive list of physicians and other health care providers in the state in order to provide critical information on the unmet healthcare needs of underserved communities, as well as be a tool for state policy and advocacy efforts regarding greater equity and access to health care resources.
Click map to enlarge (PDF). The map of the month, “Providence Pediatricians and Family Providers” is an initial look at where children in Providence can receive routine healthcare. The map shows a concentration of physicians around the major hospitals in the city, particularly Hasbro and Rhode Island Hospital, and Miriam Hospital. There are a cluster of physician practices on the east side of Providence, whereas other neighborhoods have limited local access, with the exception of the community health centers. The Providence Community Health Centers are the largest provider of primary care in Providence and the largest provider of the WIC (Women, Infant and Children) nutrition program in Rhode Island.
This project aims to contribute to the development of a highly skilled, compassionate, and culturally diverse healthcare workforce by gaining a better understanding of the present and projected needs for healthcare professionals. The project will collect demographic and specialty information on providers and map the location of healthcare services. We will also conduct a community-based needs assessment to better address health disparities in low-income communities and the challenges, including transportation, language, and insurance, facing Rhode Island residents in accessing quality healthcare.
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