RIFutureNews
Author: Steve Ahlquist
Mar 18, 2025
Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo at Butler Hospital on Tuesday, along with key medical professionals and advocacy groups, to emphasize how Republican-proposed cuts to Medicaid will harm Rhode Islanders seeking behavioral and mental health care and the providers who serve them.
Medicaid is the leading program that provides comprehensive care to millions of Americans, including more than 300,000 Rhode Islanders — including adults with disabilities, nursing home residents, children, mothers and newborns, and Medicare beneficiaries. In 2023, Rhode Island received $2.17 billion in Medicaid funding — accounting for 41 percent of all federal funding delivered to the Ocean State.
“The Providence Center is a certified community behavioral health clinic, which means we offer mental health and substance use services to any Rhode Islander who walks through our doors,” said Dr. Paul Wallace, Medical Director of The Providence Center. “We essentially act as the safety net for Providence in terms of mental health services, and we are the largest clinic of our kind in Rhode Island, serving nearly 9000 patients annually, approximately 70% of whom are on Medicaid. We offer a long list of services, including therapy, case management, psychiatric medications, crisis response, substance use treatment, and supportive housing, and we collaborate with many local partners, including Providence Fire and Police, Providence Public Schools, community health organizations like PCHC and Open Door Health, and every hospital in the state. It is our mission to serve the community in Rhode Island and especially Providence, and we are proud to be a cornerstone for mental healthcare in the state.
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