Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
April 3, 2009
Butler Hospital Alzheimer’s Center
Amount Requested: $350,000
Funding is requested to establish the Butler Hospital Center for Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics in Alzheimer’s Disease, which will combine an advanced brain imaging laboratory, an infusion center, and a functional outcomes laboratory to improve early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease presents a major challenge to our national healthcare system and the direct care costs to Medicare and Medicaid for people with Alzheimer’s is immense. By developing new treatment options, Butler Hospital seeks to improve early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and the treatments that are available. This Center will help place Rhode Island at the forefront of dementia research and will provide citizens with the cutting-edge healthcare they deserve. Recipient's address: 345 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, RI 02906
April 3, 2009
CODAC
Amount Requested: $500,000
Funding is requested for the construction of a new substance abuse and behavioral healthcare treatment facility, adjacent to an existing facility located at 349 Huntington Avenue in Providence. This new facility will allow the consolidation and delivery of services for co-occurring disorders under the same roof. Patients remaining in treatment can reduce costs associated with emergency room visits, criminal justice expenses and child protective services. In addition to the community programming benefits, a new, properly-constructed facility will be energy efficient and accessible. Initially this project will create construction jobs and once complete, will create new employment opportunities within the facility. Recipient's address: 1052 Park Avenue, Cranston, RI 02910
April 3, 2009
Emergency Room Behavioral Health Unit
Amount Requested: $500,000
Funding is requested for construction of a specialized behavioral health unit in the Kent Hospital emergency room. The proposed Behavioral Unit is a 2,300-square-foot renovation that will include six private patient rooms with its own nursing station and a staff support area. Centrally located in Warwick, Kent’s emergency room treats nearly 60,000 patients annually and is the second busiest in the state. The need for hospital-based psychiatric interventions is not expected to decline, but will likely continue to increase. Kent Hospital currently sees from 3 to 12 persons per day who will benefit from this program. Over the course of a year, the emergency behavioral unit will treat an estimated 2,500 patients. Allowing these individuals to have the proper treatment in the setting that serves them best will alleviate any additional burdens that their condition is causing, and will provide them with more effective care. Recipient's address: Kent Hospital 455 Toll Gate Road, Warwick, RI 02886
April 3, 2009
Reading is Fundamental
Amount Requested: $ 28 million
The Reading Is Fundamental program enhances child literacy by providing millions of underserved children with free books for personal ownership and reading encouragement from the more than 18,000 locations throughout all fifty states, Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Last year alone, RIF provided over 16 million new books to 4.5 million of the nation’s youngest and most at-risk children, including those who are homeless, disabled, low-income, on military bases, in foster care, and those without access to libraries. Moreover, RIF leverages the federal dollars by requiring nearly all local programs to fund 25 percent of the cost of the books. Thus, in 2008, an additional $8.5 million was raised by local communities to support book ownership. I joined over 100 of my colleagues in signing a letter of support for this funding to the Appropriations Committee.
Recipient's address: 1825 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009
April 3, 2009
Albion Special Care, LLC
Amount Requested: $500,000
Funding is requested for the construction of a specialized senior care facility in Exeter with programming to treat and manage a variety of memory disorders including dementia and Alzheimer’s. The facility will be staffed 24/7 with specially trained caregivers in each neighborhood who will be providing the most up-to-date programming and training services concentrating on dementia related disorders. This project is consistent with national healthcare initiatives directed at providing specialized health care services to our senior population and will provide a needed community service, while contributing to the tax base with little draw on public resources and infrastructure. It is estimated that up to 60 new jobs may be created in the state with the expansion of Albion’s services.
Recipient's address: 191 Social Street, Suite 620, Woonsocket, RI 02895
April 3, 2009
Arts in Education
Amount Requested: $53 million
The Arts in Education program provides funding for arts education initiatives in schools and communities throughout the country. These programs have enriched the educational experiences for countless Rhode Island students and foster a highly skilled teaching workforce. Ongoing arts education initiatives include the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as well as VSA arts, a program that ensures participation in the arts for students with disabilities. I joined several of my colleagues in supporting funding for this nationwide project because it gives Rhode Island students tools for critical thinking and professional development while fostering an appreciation for our heritage. Recipient's address: 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4W343, LBJ,Washington, DC, 20202
April 3, 2009
Autism Project of Rhode Island
Amount Requested: $250,000
Funding is requested for social skills programming and a summer camp to maintain resources and services to 225 children with autism spectrum disorder. These essential programs teach participants social relatedness, personal problem solving skills and self-monitoring skills to develop peer relationships and community independence. The Summer Camp is designed to fill the gap created when Extended School Year programs finish before the start of a new school year. The life skills developed through these two programs will help children gain greater independence and, over the long term, give them the opportunity to achieve meaningful employment as adults and become active, tax-paying citizens. Recipient's address: 1516 Atwood Avenue, Johnston, RI 02919
April 3, 2009
Brown University Medical Education Building
Amount Requested: $1 million
Funding is requested for the construction of a medical education building for Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School to increase educational capacity, revitalize and create economic development opportunities in Providence's Jewelry District, and provide a geographic bridge between Brown and the hospitals, creating a life sciences campus. Additionally, the project is expected to create 200 construction-related jobs in the short term, as well 30 or more additional, permanent positions once the facility is operational. Recipient's address: Box 1920, Providence, RI 02912
April 3, 2009
C.A.R.E.S. Community Center
Amount Requested: $500,000
Funding is requested to renovate and convert a former Coventry school into a 30,000-square-foot facility housing an adult day service program for seniors and people with developmental disabilities, as well as a meal site and, if needed, a more accommodating emergency shelter space. In case of an emergency, the building will also be a primary shelter and base for emergency operations. Specifically, the funds will be used to bring the building into compliance with fire and environmental codes, upgrade the HVAC and electrical systems and renovate rooms to increase accessibility for seniors and those with special needs. This retrofitted space will also allow the town to connect mental health and social service programs under one roof, such as anger management classes for men involved with domestic violence and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs, among others. Once complete, the facility is expected to serve about 3,000 individuals and families. Recipient's address: Town of Coventry Department of Human Services, 50 Wood Street, Coventry, RI 02816
April 3, 2009
Center for Technological Innovation
Amount Requested: $1 million
This funding will help establish state-of-the-art tools for technology development and commercialization at URI’s Center for Technological Innovation. Funding will also be used as seed money to foster the creation and growth of start-up or small companies built around URI technologies. Both of these activities are designed to produce much needed self-sustaining economic development and job creation in Rhode Island. The URI research enterprise continues to play an important role in Rhode Island’s economic development. The URI Center for Technological Innovation will enhance the ways in which the URI research enterprise can become fully engaged with the private sector in a number of important ways, leading to new company formations, the enhancement and support of existing companies, high-paying job creation, and increased local and state tax revenues. Recipient's address: University of Rhode Island Research Foundation, Carlotti Administration Building, Suite 001
75 Lower College Road, Kingston, RI 02881
April 3, 2009
City of Warwick – Health Initiative
Amount Requested: $75,000
Funding is requested for the continuation of a two-year pilot program to increase enrollment of City of Warwick employees (totaling approximately 171 individuals, 647 families and 315 retirees) in the ER Card electronic personal health record to demonstrate the value of providing complete, accurate medical information to healthcare professionals in emergency and routine care situations. The program will ultimately save taxpayer money and improve the quality of life of those enrolled. Since the pilot program can easily be replicated, the program could ultimately have a significant impact on state and national levels. Recipient's address: 3275 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886
April 3, 2009
City of Warwick - After School Program
Amount Requested: $ 500,000
This funding will help expand existing after-school programs for all grade levels in Warwick. An increasing number of children, especially those in low-income neighborhoods, need meaningful activities during out-of-school hours. After-school programs enhance the lives of our community’s youth, keep them from harm’s way, and have been proven to improve academic performance and reduce juvenile truancy and crime. These programs are as individual as the schools they serve, giving children the opportunity to enjoy art, athletics, science, technology, theatre, homework help, and dance.
Recipient's address: 3275 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886
April 3, 2009
Computerized Physician Order Entry System
Amount Requested: $500,000
Funding is requested to implement a Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) System, in collaboration with Kent County Memorial Hospital, that is part of a comprehensive medical information system within Care New England. The project will include the building and deployment of a computerized system which will allow physicians to enter orders for patient care, medication, diagnostic testing, etc., with immediate access to current patient information and best practice treatment options, whether the physician is in the hospital or accessing remotely via a secure internet access. This project will have a direct impact on the cost and quality of health care provided to citizens in the Southern New England region and it will create four information technology jobs, and greatly benefit a low income area. Recipient's address: Women & Infants Hospital, 101 Dudley Street, Providence, RI 02905
April 3, 2009
CranstonArc - Better Shred Program
Amount Requested: $ 321,850
This funding will be used to support the activities of Better Shred, which is a business enterprise of CranstonArc. CranstonArc provides children and adults with developmental disabilities the means to lead full and productive lives. Better Shred was established to meet the growing need for safe and secure destruction of sensitive documents, and to provide a source of employment opportunities for adults with developmental and related disabilities. Funding for this program would help create “green collar” jobs for individuals who are traditionally underemployed and support the development of an education program geared towards recycling and going green for local businesses. This project works to divert materials from local landfills, create new jobs and decrease ARC reliance on state funding. Recipient's address: 111 Comstock Parkway, Cranston, RI 02921
April 3, 2009
Education for Democracy Act Programs
Amount Requested: $35 million
The Education for Democracy Act programs teach students about the fundamental values and principles of American constitutional democracy and promote students' participation in the political life of their communities and the nation. Through the We the People program, every congressional district receives free sets of specialized textbooks for their schools at the upper elementary, middle and high school levels. Teachers benefit from professional development seminars and institutes to improve their content knowledge and teaching methods. The School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program (SVPDP) provides valuable staff training to improve civic responsibility and promote positive attitudes. These programs are used throughout Rhode Island, and I joined several of my colleagues from other states to support funding for this nationwide project.
Recipient's address: Center for Civic Education, 5145 Douglas Fir Road, Calabasas, CA 91302
April 3, 2009
HELP Project
Amount Requested: $110,000
Funding is requested for a project to support cancer diagnosed patients, caregivers and family members by providing them with emotional relief and educational awareness as well as holistic recovery assistance to improve their quality of life. Currently Rhode Island lacks well-implemented blood cancer educational programs and supportive services. Through a series of 12 educational programs focusing on clarifying diagnosis, discussing current treatment options, providing coping strategies and family support groups, patients will be able to take control over their treatment decisions and make healthier lifestyle choices around their disease. This project will be coordinated between healthcare institutions, the faith-based community and non-profit agencies and also work with underserved and uninsured patients. Recipient's address: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 1150 Pontiac Avenue, Suite 1 Cranston, RI 02920
April 3, 2009
Independence Square Foundation
Amount Requested: $750,000
Funding is requested for the ongoing construction project at the Independence Square University of Rhode Island (URI) facility, which houses the URI physical therapy program, among other academic programs, alongside a number of other non-profit care providers. The Foundation helps non-profit organizations expand their ability to provide treatment and services by offering shared facilities. Once completed, the additional space will house the South Kingstown School Department Farm School program for autistic children; the URI Kinesiology Program; the URI Center for Wellness, Research and Education; health care and supportive services for individuals with disabilities; and the expansion of the child care program. The Foundation and its tenants employ about 1,000 people. Recipient's address: 500 Prospect Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860
April 3, 2009
Information Technology Project
Amount Requested: $250,000
Funding is requested to create a fully integrated information technology system to improve clinical outcomes and increase administrative efficiency. More robust technology options will help Cornerstone to deliver higher quality, community-based, long term care and support to its participants and families. When completed, this project will shorten the processing time for new participants and improve case management, especially for its low-income clients trying to access available payment sources. Information technology employment opportunities will also be created. Completing this project will help people remain in their homes longer and delay the need for more expensive long term care options, saving taxpayer money.
Recipient's address: Cornerstone Adult Day Services, 140 Warwick Neck Avenue, Warwick, RI 02889
April 3, 2009
Meeting Street Project PRIME
Amount Requested: $ 981,975
This funding will be used to create and implement Project PRIME: Preparing Rhode Island’s most vulnerable children through Meeting Street Excellence. Project: PRIME will enable Meeting Street to launch a full service early childhood development program that will take advantage of its accessible, centrally-located Providence site and existing and well-established relationships with the low-income communities of Providence. This program will create positive long-term results on achievement tests, grades, high school graduation rates, and earnings, as well as combat the negative effects of crime rates and welfare. In addition, it will also save thousands of dollars for Rhode Island cities and towns by limiting the schools’ need to administer new evaluations, provide remedial and/or special education services, and address behavioral issues prevalent among children whose developmental needs were neglected during early childhood.
Recipient's address: 1000 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02905}
April 3, 2009
Met Full Service Community School
Amount Requested: $513,000
Funding is requested for the Met Full Service Community School (FSCS) project to provide students, their families, and the community access to comprehensive services. The project’s goals are to increase the academic success of its high school students, enhance quality primary, oral, mental health and drug prevention and treatment services, expand their Career Pathways Program, and support increased family literacy and self-sufficiency. When funded, the Met FSCS will meet the community’s critical needs in education and health and well being; benefit the communities of two Met campuses in Providence (South Side and West End) and one in Newport (Tonomy Hill/Newport Heights); and help students develop 21st century workforce skills to increase their options to enter higher education and to become employable and active citizens. Recipient's address: The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, 325 Public Street, Providence, RI 02905
April 3, 2009
NextGen EHR System
Amount Requested: $157,300
Funding is requested for Northwest Healthcare to partner with four other Rhode Island Community Health Centers to implement the NextGen Practice Management System and Electronic Health Record at its Pascoag, North Kingstown and Foster sites. This funding is to purchase the remaining software and hardware needed to complete the transition and would be the final request of a multi-year project. In an effort to continue to serve its community, this service expansion will improve efficiency. This project directly serves patients, some of whom are low income, in the nine communities Northwest is designated to serve: Burrillville, East Greenwich, Exeter, Foster, Glocester, North Kingstown, Scituate, Smithfield, and West Greenwich, as well as those who live outside the service area but who choose to get their care at one of the three Northwest facilities. In 2008, Northwest treated 11,737 patients.
Recipient's address: Northwest Healthcare, P.O. Box 312, Pascoag, RI 02859
April 3, 2009
PACE Organization of Rhode Island
Amount Requested: $450,000
Funding is requested for the expansion of the Programs for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) program site in Providence, as well as the costs associated with the expansion to its sites in Westerly, North Smithfield and East Bay. PACE is a non-profit health care organization serving frail elders living in Rhode Island. This nation-wide program has operated in the state for three years and is funded through Medicaid. It has cared for over 200 frail seniors and has assisted over 25 seniors by transitioning them out of nursing homes and back to community living. PACE currently employs 50 people. Recipient's address: 225 Chapman Street, Suite 101, Providence, Rhode Island 02905
April 3, 2009
Project Discovery Program
Amount Requested: $450,000
Funding is requested for Trinity Repertory Company’s Project Discovery program, which strives to provide arts education in K-12 school curricula. This program includes student matinees, classroom visits by resident company artists, and professional development workshops for teachers. Now in its 42nd season, Project Discovery has introduced more than 1.2 million children and their teachers to the power of live theater. During the 2009-2010 season, more than 10,000 schoolchildren from approximately one hundred schools in three New England states will participate in Project Discovery, making it one of the largest, most enduring, and most influential arts exposure activity in Rhode Island’s educational system.
Recipient's address: Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903
April 3, 2009
Project Grow Autism Telemedicine Program
Amount Requested: $254,128
Funding is requested to develop an innovative model of delivering treatment services to families of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This program is a home-based model of parent education which includes an online course in behavioral intervention; parent implemented interventions; a camera/computer system for monitoring, feedback, and data analysis; in-person supervision and support for parents; and small group meetings to model procedures and offer support. This project will benefit 30 families living with ASD. The costs of obtaining Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services, the dearth of trained clinicians, and the lack of accessibility to good behavioral programs are barriers to families seeking treatment for their children. The proposed project will address these areas of need by delivering services to parents in their homes with the aid of telecommunication technology, resulting in cost and time efficiencies and enabling available supervisors to serve more families. Recipient's address: Groden Center, 610 Manton Avenue, Providence, RI 02909
April 3, 2009
Reach Out and Read
Amount Requested: $10 million
Reach Out and Read is a national program that promotes literacy and language development in infants and young children, targeting disadvantaged and poor children and families. ROR has proven to be among the most effective strategies to promote early language and literacy development and school readiness. Pediatricians and other healthcare providers guide and encourage parents to read aloud to their children from their earliest years of life, and send them home from each doctor visit with books and a prescription to read together. Funding provided by Congress through the U.S. Department of Education has been matched by tens of millions of dollars from the private sector and state governments. I joined several of my colleagues from other states to support funding for this nationwide project.
Recipient's address: Reach Out and Read National Center, 56 Roland St., Boston, MA 02129
April 3, 2009
Rhode Island College School of Nursing
Amount Requested: $343,000
Funding is requested for a major renovation and upgrade of the Rhode Island College School of Nursing clinical laboratory. This project will help improve nursing programmatic and educational initiatives, including the creation of a simulated learning environment to reproduce realistic patient care settings such as a basic hospital unit, acute/critical care area, and birthing center. RIC is the largest baccalaureate nursing program in the state. Over 90 percent of its graduates assume initial employment in RI hospitals and other health care institutions in the state. The nursing shortage nationally has been well documented. RIC graduates over 100 nurses annually and there are currently 44 students enrolled in the master’s program. This funding will allow RIC to increase the number of students learning through simulation and improve overall instruction quality. Recipient's address: 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Providence, RI 02908
April 3, 2009
The Kent Center for Human & Organizational Development, Inc
Amount Requested: $600,000
Funding is requested for the final purchase of a recently completed two-story, 30,000-square-foot facility on Post Road in Warwick. The Kent Center is a community-based provider of behavioral health care for mental illness, substance abuse and psychological trauma. This building purchase will help secure the financial future of the center and will result in the promotion of better healthcare for the community and significant long-term savings for the taxpayer. Without the center’s services, its clients often end up in institutional care, become incarcerated or endure repeated hospitalization, all of which are extremely expensive and funded by taxpayers. Recipient's address: 2756 Post Road, Suite 104, Warwick, RI 02886-3003
April 3, 2009
The National Writing Project
Amount Requested: $30 million
The National Writing Project supports a national infrastructure of more than 200 state writing projects that serve their local schools and teaching communities with high-quality teacher professional development. Through this program, Rhode Island has instituted teacher development initiatives throughout the state. For example, the Planning For Change program features guest speakers and facilitates discussions on best practices for journaling and writing. The Summer Institute on Writing and Critical Literacy engages teachers in workshops on the principle that reflection in a group enriches participants’ skill and knowledge base. The Literature Institute for Teachers offers a forum for discussion of literacy issues and forms reading and writing groups, fostering a community of learners. Finally, under the Young Writers’ Camp, Rhode Island youth have the opportunity to learn through active participation in the writing process. In a time of great demand for highly qualified teachers, these programs are cost effective ways to address individual school goals, ultimately investing in Rhode Island’s future generations and improving our teaching workforce. I joined several of my colleagues in Congress to support funding for this nationwide project. Recipient's address: 2105 Bancroft Way, #1042, Berkeley, CA
April 3, 2009
University of Rhode Island College of Nursing
Amount Requested: $500,000
Funding is requested for technology upgrades to URI’s College of Nursing classrooms, which will allow instructors to teach larger numbers of students while increasing retention and graduation rates. Due to the current nursing faculty shortage, URI has 45 percent more nursing school applicants than placements. Specifically, this funding will convert two small classrooms into one large room and update their current technology, including settings that support student laptops and LCDs. These classrooms will also include internet access, on-line learning and audio-visual resources, a wireless SimMan, a bed, and a headwall system. Recent local studies have indicated a need to educate more nurses in Rhode Island in order to meet the demands of local hospitals and physician offices. Recipient's address: 2 Heathman Road, Kingston, RI 02881
April 3, 2009
Urgent Care Facility
Amount Requested: $750,000
Funding is requested for construction of a new urgent care facility at the health center’s Prairie Avenue location. This new facility will complement its existing health center locations throughout Providence. Presently, nearby acute care hospitals are handling the vast majority of urgent care visits through emergency rooms, 50 percent of which could be handled in a less expensive, urgent care center. For over 40 years, PCHC has offered prenatal, OB/GYN, pediatric, adolescent and adult medicine, and specialty care services to over 35,000 Providence area residents, across its five local health center facilities. Providing less expensive urgent care services will produce real savings to patients, insurers, as well as state and federal governments. There will be approximately 320 ambulatory health care-related employment opportunities once the site is redeveloped. Based on this projection, there will be a total of 526 long-term jobs. Also given the need to hire front desk personnel, health aides, lab assistants, and administrative and maintenance staff, most of these job opportunities will be filled by residents in the local Empowerment Zone and will represent approximately 120 local jobs.
Recipient's address: Providence Community Health Centers, 375 Allens Avenue, Providence, RI 02905
April 3, 2009
Westerly Adult Day Services
Amount Requested: $100,000}
Funding is requested to renovate the upper level of the former Police Station in downtown Westerly to house the Westerly Adult Day Services. This agency provides a comprehensive daytime program that includes nursing supervision, medical monitoring, social services, and therapeutic activity for cognitively and/or functionally impaired adults in order to keep patients in the community as opposed to nursing facilities. They also provide respite services for caregivers. This location will also allow the program greater exposure to the local community, as well as becoming an integral part of the revitalization of downtown Westerly. This project supports the shift toward home and community based services and will help decrease premature nursing home placements, which carry a significantly higher utilization of Medicaid dollars. Recipient's address: 65 Wells Street, Westerly, RI 02891
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