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Monthly News & Updates | August 2026 | | | |
Stay Connected with CTC-RI on LinkedIn
Follow CTC-RI on LinkedIn for the latest training opportunities, funding announcements, quality improvement initiatives, primary care resources, and news from across Rhode Island's healthcare community.
Join the conversation and stay connected with the work shaping the future of primary care!
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What does it look like when a primary care practice truly puts older adults first? For Breakwater Primary Care, it started with a simple question: "What matters most to you?"
Across Rhode Island, 17 primary care practices have taken on the work of becoming age-friendly. Breakwater Primary Care is one of them, and their story shows what that commitment looks like in practice. Breakwater's teams across three sites in Lincoln, Warwick, and Pawtucket adopted the IHI Age-Friendly Health Systems 4M Framework — What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility — and integrated caregiver identification and support into their everyday workflows. The work was less disruptive than they expected and more rewarding than they imagined. As one provider described it, identifying caregiver stress felt like discovering "a new category of disease" that had been in the room all along.
As a fourth cohort gets underway this September, Breakwater's experience offers a compelling look at what is possible when a practice decides to ask older adults what matters most.
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Meet Our Keynote: Dr. Wayne Altman
Dr. Altman is the founder of MAPCAP (MA Primary Care Alliance for Patients) and a longtime family physician, educator, and primary care advocate. A former Jaharis Family Chair and Professor of Family Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, he received 35 teaching awards and citations during his 28 years at Tufts and has been recognized as a Boston Top Doc 15 times. His work focuses on primary care policy, health equity, wellness, medical education, and patient-centered care.
At this year's conference, Dr. Altman will speak on legislative approaches to the primary care crisis, offering a policy-focused look at how states can strengthen and sustain the primary care workforce.
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Diabetes Quality Improvement Initiative
CTC-RI, in partnership with the URI College of Pharmacy and RIDOH, is inviting up to six primary care practices to join a funded 21-month quality improvement initiative focused on improving care and outcomes for patients with diabetes.
Participating practices will work to improve screening rates for diabetes-related eye and kidney disease, strengthen tobacco screening, and integrate pharmacist-led, team-based care. Up to $20,000 in funding is available, as well as dedicated practice facilitation and QI coaching support.
Application deadline: September 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM. Review the call for applications here.
| | | | | Hear directly from practices in CTC-RI's pharmacy and diabetes quality improvement cohort 1 as they share two years of outcomes, lessons learned, and the team-based strategies that improved kidney health evaluation, eye exam screening, and glycemic control for patients with diabetes. | |
🗓️ Upcoming CTC-RI Meetings & Learning Opportunities
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📢 Updates, Successes, & Developments
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CTC-RI’s Dr. Nelly Burdette Joins Brown CAAS Community Partners Council
CTC-RI Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Nelly Burdette has been invited to serve as a founding member of the new Community Partners Council at Brown University’s Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies (CAAS).
The Council will bring researchers, healthcare organizations, community partners, and public-sector leaders together to strengthen connections between research and practice and advance evidence-based approaches to substance use care across Rhode Island.
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2026 Annual Breastfeeding Conference
On August 6, CTC-RI and the Rhode Island Department of Health hosted the Annual Breastfeeding Conference at Bryant University, bringing together 160 healthcare professionals, lactation support providers, WIC and family visiting staff, doulas, advocates, and others supporting lactating families.
The conference featured expert presentations, a panel on complex breastfeeding experiences, and discussions on Baby-Friendly quality improvement and building multidisciplinary support teams. Thank you to all participants, exhibitors, speakers, and sponsors for helping strengthen breastfeeding support across Rhode Island.
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Free Community Sessions: Learn About Upcoming Medicaid Changes
The Rhode Island Health Center Association (RIHCA) is hosting two free community information sessions to help residents understand upcoming Medicaid changes, including changes affecting non-citizens beginning October 1, 2026, and work requirements beginning January 1, 2027. Get your questions answered and connect with available resources.
September 14 | 11 AM–3 PM | Joseph A. Doorley Building, Providence
September 26 | 10 AM–2 PM | Mission of Mercy Clinic, Providence
| | | 💻 Missed It? Recent CTC-RI Learnings! | | |
Your hub for recent CTC-RI programs, learning sessions, and highlights!
Find recaps and links to presentations, resources, and recordings from our most recent work.
Click here to catch up on missed content or revisit a session.
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