A New Chapter, Same Mission

A New Chapter, Same Mission
By John Minichiello, MBA, Executive Director & Nelly Burdette, Psy.D., Chief Clinical Officer

As we step into our new roles, we do so with deep appreciation for the foundation laid by Debra Hurwitz and Pano Yeracaris. Their leadership and the collaborative spirit they championed has helped bring Rhode Island to the forefront of primary care transformation.

The healthcare landscape is shifting rapidly once again and not always in easy or predictable ways. From workforce shortages to federal funding cuts, our systems are under immense strain. But at the Care Transformation Collaborative of Rhode Island (CTC-RI), we remain grounded in a mission that has never been more urgent: advancing accessible, equitable, and team-based primary care for all Rhode Islanders.

A growing body of evidence, and lived experience, confirms what many have long believed: fix primary care first, and everything else works better. It’s where prevention happens, where trust is built, where care coordination begins, and where downstream costs are managed. Without strong primary care, the system spends more, delivers less, and leaves patients behind.

We step into this moment not with blind optimism, but with a deep sense of purpose and resolve. We know this is a time that calls for doing more with less. But we also know that primary care transformation provides a roadmap, not just to care for our communities, but to deliver better care, more sustainably. And Rhode Island has repeatedly shown it can rise to meet the moment.

Inviting Collaboration in a Time of Change
CTC-RI exists to bring Rhode Island’s healthcare community together with purpose. Our strength as a state has always come from those willing to engage at the table: clinicians, nurses, community health workers, hospitals, community leaders, employers, payers, state partners, and patient advocates who don’t shy away from complexity.

And let’s be honest, there is plenty of complexity. We’re not just transforming a delivery system; we’re navigating real tensions, trade-offs, and resource constraints across the entire healthcare ecosystem. Every sector, from hospitals and nursing homes to home care, behavioral health, and primary care, is competing for limited dollars, workforce, and policy attention. While collaboration is essential, so is recognizing that primary care transformation often gets sidelined, even though it delivers the greatest value for a community’s long-term health.

These are not signs of failure. They are the realities of a fragmented system trying to become something better. That is the space where CTC-RI does its most important work. We’ve seen what’s possible when voices align around shared goals, and we’re committed to continuing that work through collaboration and practice empowerment. CTC-RI remains a strong voice for primary care by convening partners, educating stakeholders, and advancing aligned priorities through evidence, collaboration, and strategic communication.

Strengthening the Foundation: What’s Next for CTC-RI
In the months ahead, we’ll continue to reinforce the core pillars of CTC-RI’s work, adapting them to meet today’s needs. Strong primary care isn’t just one strategy among many — it’s the strategy that makes all others more effective.

• Data & Evaluation Committee Relaunch
  We’re aligning data efforts with the metrics that matter in modern primary care so we can reduce variation, act faster, and learn collaboratively using evidence-based approaches.
• Primary Care Workforce Task Force
  We’re working to support and sustain a pipeline of healthcare professionals prepared for the realities of integrated, team-based care while acknowledging the challenges they face on the front lines.
• Clinical Strategies Committee
  We’re building a renewed forum for clinical leaders and administrators to guide evidence-based innovation, promote best practices, and ensure that transformation efforts remain grounded in the realities of care delivery.
• New Projects with Community Impact
  This fall, we’re launching CONNECT AUD (Coordinated Outreach, Navigation, and Engagement-Centered Care for Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders). This innovative pilot brings together primary care, hospitals, and recovery specialists to expand access to stigma-free AUD care. It strengthens the integration of Peer Recovery Specialists in hospital settings and fosters cross-sector learning to improve outcomes and reduce costs statewide.

What Keeps Us Going
We’ve always been inspired by Rhode Island’s ability to take on complex problems through collaboration. This next chapter will require both pragmatism and innovation and we believe CTC-RI is uniquely positioned to lead with both. This is a challenging moment for healthcare. But the values that define CTC — equity, teamwork, and action — have never been more needed. We’re proud to support the clinicians, care teams, administrators, and the entire healthcare workforce delivering better care every day, often under difficult conditions.

Looking Ahead: The Leadership Circle
We’re introducing this space — The Leadership Circle — to share perspective, highlight work across our community, and reflect on what it takes to keep moving forward, together.

Thanks for being in this work with us.

— John Minichiello, MBA & Nelly Burdette, Psy.D.