Hospital Association of Rhode Island

03/13/2026

A patient treated for a heart attack returns to the emergency department weeks later with chest pain.

Doctors determine that another hospital admission is necessary.

But under a recent insurer policy change, the hospital may receive no payment for the second stay if it occurs within a newly expanded 30-day readmission window.

Hospitals must still provide the care, but reimbursement can be denied entirely.

Read more in our latest newsletter:

Email from Hospital Association of RI Changing Insurance Contracts, Real Patient Consequences A Rhode Island patient suffers a heart attack and is admitted to a local hospital, where they receive the

03/12/2026

HARI Statement on the Rhode Island Senate's 2026 Health Care Package

03/11/2026

When health coverage disappears, medical needs don’t.

As thousands of Rhode Islanders leave the state’s health insurance marketplace amid rising premiums, hospitals across the state are warning about the ripple effects for patients and the healthcare system.

“Folks are still going to go to the hospital,” Providence College Professor Bob Hackey noted. “But they’re going to go without insurance. So hospitals will end up eating that, and that's going to be passed along to other consumers in the form of higher premiums.”

Learn more:

Nearly 5,000 fewer Rhode Islanders were enrolled with HealthSource RI than last year, according to the state insurance marketplace's 2026 open enrollment report

03/10/2026

Congratulations to Erin Yale on her appointment as President and Chief Operating Officer of Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island.

Bringing more than 25 years of experience leading complex healthcare organizations, Erin’s expertise spans clinical operations, strategic growth & advancing high-quality care.

We look forward to working together to support patients, families, and communities across Rhode Island.

Learn more from Care New England Health System: https://www.womenandinfants.org/news/erin-yale-named-president-and-chief-operating-officer-of-women-infants-hospital

03/04/2026

Rhode Island’s healthcare system is already under strain.

S.2459, the Rhode Island Ban on the Corporate Practice of Medicine Act, would impose rigid ownership mandates, restrict standard hospital oversight & add duplicative reporting requirements.

Hospitals need stability to allow physicians to focus on patient care, not new mandates that disrupt care delivery, interfere with hospital operations & worsen provider shortages.

HARI urges the Senate Committee to oppose S.2459.

02/25/2026

02/24/2026

NEMIC and the RI Department of Labor and Training are launching a 2026 accelerator focused on medical and digital health technologies.

These programs help translate innovation into critical tools that support clinicians, hospitals, and patients.

Learn more:

PROVIDENCE – The New England Medical Innovation Center is once again partnering with the R.I. Department of Labor and Training to host a five-month business accelerator program. The accelerator program, which first launched in 2019, is geared toward businesses specializing in medical and health ca...

02/19/2026

Westerly Hospital has been recognized by the Rhode Island EMS for Children (EMSC) program with its highest honor: the Pediatric Innovator designation. This prestigious status identifies Westerly Hospital as “Always Ready for Children” and highlights its exceptional preparedness, capability and commitment to caring for pediatric patients in emergency situations.

Westerly Hospital achieved a near perfect score of 98 on the rigorous Assessment of Readiness to Care (ARC) program, significantly exceeding the threshold required for top-tier recognition. http://ynh.care/19T

02/19/2026

Brown University Health is enrolling patients in a clinical trial focused on a one-time, non-surgical treatment for chronic low back pain, a condition that drives significant outpatient visits, imaging, and procedures.

Research like this helps expand evidence-based treatment options and improve quality of life for patients.

Learn more:

Could an injection help alleviate lower back pain? A trial underway in Rhode Island is trying to find out.

02/17/2026

Westerly Hospital recently held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the launch of its new chemistry analyzers that can perform up to 1,000 test per hour. The implementation is part of an ongoing systemwide upgrade to standardize equipment and practices across Yale New Haven Health System.

Thanks to our Laboratory colleagues who have worked extra hard work to prepare for this transition, and thanks for all the timely and accurate testing you perform each day for all our patients.

02/17/2026

A new national survey confirms that prior authorization is the top non-cost barrier patients face when accessing care, particularly for those with chronic conditions. For hospitals and clinicians, these delays divert time away from patient care and contribute to backlogs across the system.

Read more:

KFF's health tracking poll finds that beyond costs, insured adults say prior authorization is their biggest challenges when accessing care. About seven in ten (69%) insured adults say prior authorizations are burdensome, and a third (34%) choose prior authorizations as their single biggest health ca...

02/13/2026

When patients who are ready for discharge remain in the hospital, they occupy beds needed for others who require acute care.

Delays of this kind go beyond inconvenience; they affect patients, contribute to emergency department crowding, and financially strain both patients and the healthcare system.

Learn more in our latest newsletter: https://conta.cc/3MIFaXl