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Rhode Island primary care statistics, 2026

A practical, source-linked snapshot of primary care access and capacity in Rhode Island, including the role nurse practitioners play in the broader primary care workforce. Last updated September 29, 2026.

Primary care facts, at a glance.

These figures come from public health agencies and use the newest underlying data available in each source. They are here to make primary care conversations easier to ground in facts, not to diagnose, predict, or rank an individual practice.

144

practices responded to Rhode Island’s primary care survey

The Rhode Island Department of Health analyzed responses from 144 unique primary care practices that were providing care in the state in 2023. Together, those respondents reported serving about 750,000 Rhode Islanders.

Source and details: Rhode Island Department of Health, Primary Care Landscape Analysis, June 2026. Data describe 2023 practice activity.

32 of 39

Rhode Island municipalities were represented

Surveyed practices spanned 32 of Rhode Island’s 39 municipalities. Fifteen percent of the responding practices were in rural municipalities.

Source and details: Rhode Island Department of Health, Primary Care Landscape Analysis, June 2026. Data describe 2023 practice activity.

69%

of responding practices were patient-centered medical homes

In the 2025 survey, 69% of responding primary care practices reported patient-centered medical home status. The same brief reported that 28% were fully owned by a hospital system and 6% identified as concierge medicine practices.

Source and details: Rhode Island Department of Health, Primary Care Landscape Analysis, June 2026. 2025 survey responses; denominator varies by question.

374,970

nurse practitioners were estimated to be practicing primary care nationwide

Federal workforce data count nurse practitioners alongside physicians and physician assistants in the primary care workforce. The estimate is for 2024 and is national, not Rhode Island-specific.

Source and details: Health Resources and Services Administration, State of the Primary Care Workforce, December 2025. NP estimate is for 2024.

$4,000

available per nurse practitioner or physician assistant trainee in Rhode Island’s training program

Rhode Island’s Primary Care Training Sites Program supports community practices that train nurse practitioner students, alongside medical, resident, and physician assistant trainees. The program is designed to build the state’s future primary care workforce.

Source and details: Rhode Island Department of Health, Primary Care Training Sites Program report, February 2026. Maximum award per NP or PA trainee.

90.3%

of U.S. adults had a usual place for care

In 2024, 90.3% of adults reported having a usual place to go when sick or needing care. Among adults ages 18 to 34, that figure was 83.7%.

Source and details: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2024.

77.5%

of U.S. adults used a doctor’s office or health center for usual care

The 2024 national survey found that 77.5% of adults used a doctor’s office or health center as their usual source of care. For adults ages 18 to 34, the figure was 67.7%.

Source and details: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2024.

129.9

primary care physicians per 100,000 Rhode Islanders

Rhode Island’s 2023 ratio was 129.9 active primary care physicians per 100,000 people. The national ratio in the same analysis was 101.0 per 100,000.

Source and details: Health Resources and Services Administration, State of the Primary Care Workforce, December 2025. Physician data are for 2023.

Methodology and sources

How to use these numbers.

Each statistic links directly to its primary public source. The Rhode Island practice figures come from a statewide survey, so they describe responding practices rather than every practice in the state. The national figures come from a representative household survey or federal workforce estimates. The physician ratio counts active MDs and DOs and excludes residents.

Rhode Island Department of Health, Primary Care Landscape Analysis, June 2026. The brief analyzes 144 survey respondents providing care in Rhode Island in 2023, with selected questions reported for 2025.
Rhode Island Department of Health, Primary Care Training Sites Program report, February 2026. The report describes support for nurse practitioner student training at community-based primary care sites.
National Center for Health Statistics, Source of Usual Health Care for Adults Age 18 and Older, 2024 data, published 2026.
Health Resources and Services Administration, State of the Primary Care Workforce, December 2025. This report includes national primary care workforce estimates for nurse practitioners and state physician ratios.

Cite this page

Weatherly Direct Primary Care. “Rhode Island Primary Care Statistics, 2026.” Updated September 29, 2026. https://weatherlydirectcare.com/primary-care-statistics-rhode-island