Hospitals Are the Backbone of Healthcare –

and They’re Under Strain

Hospitals in Rhode Island are the backbone of our healthcare system.

Every day, Rhode Islanders rely on them not only in emergencies, but also for the routine and the essential: primary care, maternity care, mental health services, rehabilitation, and preventive programs that keep our families and friends healthy. And because hospitals are open 24/7, they provide care to anyone who walks through the door, regardless of their ability to pay.

In addition to keeping our communities healthy, hospitals and health systems are major economic drivers. Hospitals in Rhode Island provide stable, good-paying jobs, employing more than 35,000 people, from doctors and nurses to lab staff and medical assistants, and generate billions of dollars each year in economic activity. According to the RI Department of Labor and Training, hospitals have added 1,269 jobs since 2020. More broadly, healthcare is the second fastest-growing industry in Rhode Island since 2020, underscoring the critical role hospitals play in the state’s economic strength and workforce stability.

Beyond providing care within their four walls, hospitals consistently help fill in the gaps to keep Rhode Island’s broader healthcare system running. They help keep primary care offices, behavioral health programs, and specialty services available when reimbursement rates don’t cover the true cost of care.

Without support from hospitals, many smaller practices and programs would be forced to close, leaving patients with fewer options for preventive care or specialized treatment.



But that backbone is under real pressure.

Hospitals continue to absorb rising costs for labor, supplies, medications and equipment, while payments from insurers and Medicaid continue to fall short of the actual cost to care. At the same time, thousands of Rhode Islanders may lose health coverage, driving more patients to emergency departments without the means to pay. When funding doesn’t keep pace, the consequences are clear: reduced access to care, strained healthcare workers, and weakened services in every corner of our state. 

When hospitals are under strain, it’s felt throughout the entire system. Patients wait longer or must travel further for care. Nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers are stretched to their limits. And essential programs are reduced or cut altogether. 

Last year, state investments in hospital funding made a real difference. Those dollars helped steady our hospitals, kept essential services running, and protected thousands of jobs.

We’ve taken meaningful steps forward — and continued partnership is needed to ensure that progress isn’t lost.