Providence, RI - Rhode Island's congressional delegation today announced that Memorial Hospital and Brown University have received a total of $1.1 million in federal grants to strengthen and expand their health professions workforce. The grants will provide additional primary care workforce training and equipment to enhance the health profession field.

"This federal funding will provide a $1.1 million boost to increase Rhode Island's health workforce. It will help ensure our doctors and nurses receive the best medical training and patients have access to high quality, comprehensive primary care," said U.S. Senator Jack Reed.

"America has the best doctors, nurses, and technology in the world, and we must make the long term investments necessary to maintain that workforce excellence, and translate that individual excellence into better health care system performance," said U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. "This federal money for Memorial Hospital and Brown University will improve the quality of training for health care professionals and expand job opportunities in the field."

"As health care reform moves our country away from the outdated ‘sick-care' system and places greater emphasis on wellness and prevention, there will continue to be an increased demand for primary care physicians," said U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy. "This federal funding for Brown and Memorial Hospital will help to improve and expand Rhode Island's primary care physician workforce to accommodate that demand."

"For the full potential of health care reform to be realized, we need to make sure we have dedicated, well-trained health care professionals," said U.S. Representative Jim Langevin. "From loan repayments to providing up-to-date equipment, this funding is critical to developing our health professions."

Memorial Hospital - Equipment to Enhance Training for Health Professionals: $276,863
Residency Training in Primary Care: $272,982

Brown University - Academic Administrative Units in Primary Care: $260,686
Residency Training in Primary Care: $277,769

The Department of Health and Human Services awarded $130.8 million nationally in federal grants to focus on health workforce training, diversity, and disparities. The grants also include $88.7 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).