Primary Care Training Site Program

To qualify for funding, sites must meet the following requirements:

• The primary care clinical training site must offer medical training in primary care to interns, residents, or fellows as part of the clinical training requirements for physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants
• The clinical training program must be affiliated with an accredited institution of higher education for the clinical training of physicians, nurse practitioners, and/or physician assistants
• Offer a collaborative, team-based care environment where students can gain experience working alongside a wide range of clinicians
• The primary care site must be recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH)
• The primary care practice must provide integrated behavioral health services
• The primary care practice must be physically located in the State of Rhode Island

Grant awards to primary care training sites shall be used to support preceptors and enhance training capacity. 

The maximum grant award for training sites is $90,000 per site, per calendar year. Awards are subject to continued availability of funding on a first-come, first-served basis and will be determined using the following formula:

(Anticipated Enrollment × Per-Pupil Rate) = Grant Amount

• Medical students and residents = $4,500.00 per trainee
• Nurse practitioners and physician assistant = $4,000.00 per trainee

The typical academic year is split into two calendar year periods. Applicants should provide their anticipated enrollment for the two periods of the academic year:

• Period 1 (Semester 1): July 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025
• Period 2 (Semester 2): January 1, 2026 - June 30, 2026

Applicants will use this formula to request their grant amount for each period.

Training sites must select one of the following models to use grant funds:

1. Stipend Model – Preceptors receive a stipend for mentoring trainees without reducing clinical workload.
2. Reduced Clinical Time Model – Preceptors receive dedicated time blocks for training, with funds used to offset reduced clinical workload.
3. Innovative Model – Training sites may utilize alternative strategies for compensating preceptors or enhancing training capacity, tailored to their specific needs and environment. These strategies must align with program objectives and be detailed in the project and budget narrative.

Applicants must register as a Rhode Island state vendor via the OSP Vendor Registration Portal. Registration approval may take up to three weeks. An instruction guide is available here - Osp Vendor Registration | Rhode Island Division of Purchases. Assistance is available through the Webprocure Help Desk at (866) 889-8533 or suppliersupport@proactisservicedesk.com.

The 2025 Primary Care Training Sites Program application cycle will open soon

Application Process

Training sites must complete and submit an online application via REDCap. The electronic timestamp of the submission will determine the prioritization of primary care practices for funding. 

Required Information: 

As part of the application, training sites must provide: 

• Number of preceptors and their time allocation between teaching and clinical practice.
• Anticipated student enrollment.
• Affiliations with higher education institutions.
• Average number of weeks students spend in training rotations.
• A project and budget narrative detailing:
  • Use of grant funds to support preceptors.
  • Challenges and strategies for expanding training capacity.
  • Retention strategies for trainees, including efforts to encourage careers in primary care and retention in Rhode Island.

Need Help? Contact Us

During the application window, all questions regarding the PCTSP funding opportunity must be submitted in writing to RIDOH.PrimaryCareTraining@health.ri.gov with the subject line: "PCTSP Application Question." The deadline for submitting questions will be posted once the application is available; typically, this takes place during the first two weeks of that the funding opportunity is made available to the public.

To ensure fairness, responses will not be sent directly to individual applicants. Instead, all questions and answers will be posted on the Department of Health's Requests for Proposals webpage. Department of Health staff cannot respond to questions directly during the application window.

• A frequently asked question document will be made available soon. This document will provide answers to questions received during the application window.

• Applicants will be notified of award decisions within three weeks after the application deadline.
• Incomplete or ineligible applications will not be considered.

Funds provided to training sites must be used to support preceptors and enhance training capacity. Training sites are expected to use these funds to compensate preceptors for their participation in training sessions, learning collaboratives, and other activities required for program implementation.

State budget restrictions prohibit grant funds from covering food, beverages, gift cards, or related expenses. The program expects that all participating sites adhere to their respective project and budget narrative submitted as part of the application.

Sites must implement the Department of Health’s clinical training curriculum. At least one preceptor must be designated to implement the curriculum and attend training sessions.

At minimum awarded participants must:

• Ensure at least one preceptor is trained in the PCMH model curriculum provided by the Department of Health.
• Ensure at least one preceptor participates in Department-organized learning collaboratives.
• Submit progress reports on trainee enrollment, completion, impact, and preceptor satisfaction.

The Department of Health reserves the right to conduct site visits to ensure compliance. Sites may be required to submit reports or additional documentation as needed.

Awarded sites must enter a contract with the Department of Health (RIDOH) and comply with all program requirements and expectations. Full registration with the Ocean State Procures (OSP] system is required to receive a Purchase Order (PO) and begin work.

Once a site joins the PCTSP, it must show proof of student enrollment to receive payment. Enrollment is defined as the point when a site reserves specific training slots for students from an academic program. This reflects the commitment the practices make to offering clinical training opportunities to their academic affiliates.

When submitting invoices to RIDOH, sites must provide proof of student enrollment (as defined above) through documentation that includes:

• The number of reserved slots
• The disciplines of students the site has agreed to accept
• The academic institution(s) sending students to train at the site
• The period that the students are anticipated to commence clinical rotation 

We understand that at the time of reservation, specific student assignments may not yet be available. Therefore, student names and details are not required at this stage. RIDOH will accept agreements between training sites and their affiliated academic institutions reserving slots for students as documentation of enrollment.

Sites can request payment from RIDOH by submitting an invoice based on the number of enrolled students and the established per-pupil rates. Invoices must include enrollment documentation as described above. Funds must be used within the allowed period, with no carryforward. 

Each site should submit invoices for work during the two academic periods:

• Period 1 (Semester 1): July 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025
• Period 2 (Semester 2): January 1, 2026 - June 30, 2026

Sites must submit reports with the following information for each student either upon completion of their rotation or, at a minimum, by the end of the period of performance:

• Full Name
• Personal Email Address
• Discipline (e.g., medical student, resident, nurse practitioner student, or physician assistant student)
• Academic Institution & Program
  • Name of the academic institution or residency program
  • Educational specialty or track (e.g., Brown University, Pediatrics/Internal Medicine)
  • Note: While nurse practitioner and physician assistant students may not have designated specialties during training, provide as much detail as possible about their intended track.
• Year in Program & Estimated Graduation Date (Month/Year)
• Clinical Training Details
  • Duration of training at the site (e.g., "4-week rotation, 4 days per week, 6-hour shifts")
  • Completion status of the clinical rotation (Did the student complete the scheduled training? If not, explain why.)
• Please provide post-training details for each student/resident after completing their rotation at your site:
  • Indicate whether the student entered the workforce, including their specialty and practice location (city/state).
  • Specify if the student/resident pursued additional training, such as a fellowship.
  • Confirm if the student is still enrolled in their course of study and note the remaining duration of their program.

• The curriculum will be available soon.