Magaziner Announces Wood River Health Center Director as Guest for State of the Union

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) announced today that Alison Croke, President and CEO of Wood River Health, will be his guest at President Trump's address to the nation on Tuesday, March 7. Croke leads the federally qualified health center based in Hope Valley, Rhode Island, which serves thousands of patients, many of whom rely on Medicaid for care.

Magaziner recently visited Wood River Healthto hear directly from providers about the impact of proposed Republican Medicaid cuts. Last week, the House voted on Republicans' budget plan that will slash at least $880 billion from programs under the Energy and Commerce Committee's jurisdiction-cuts expected to primarily come from Medicaid.

Community health centers like Wood River Health serve more than 200,000 Rhode Islanders, with Medicaid covering a majority of their funding. Under House Republicans' proposed budget plans, more than 300 thousand Rhode Islanders on Medicaid could lose access to care. Many community health centers, nursing homes, and other health care providers that serve populations covered by Medicaid could be forced to reduce services or even close down under the Republican budget plan.

"One in five Rhode Islanders relies on community health centers for care, and their health care is now at risk due to proposed Republican cuts to Medicaid," said Magaziner. "I'm honored that Alison will be joining me for this address to highlight the critical role Medicaid plays in keeping Rhode Islanders healthy. I know we'll both be listening closely to what the president has to say about the bipartisan popularity of supporting health centers and safeguarding Medicaid for the more than 140,000 in Rhode Island's 2nd District who rely on it."

"I am honored to be invited to attend the State of the Union address as a guest of Congressman Magaziner," said Alison Croke, President and CEO of Wood River Health. "The proposed Medicaid cuts in the federal budget would be financially devastating to health centers and many other providers in Rhode Island. The roughly 82,000 Rhode Islanders eligible for Medicaid through the Expansion provision of the ACA rely on this coverage to give them access to primary medical and dental care, as well as treatment for behavioral health conditions. This access to preventive care improves health outcomes and prevents spending on more expensive treatment options like Emergency Department visits and hospital stays."

A lifelong Rhode Islander, Croke has dedicated her career to expanding health care access. She previously held leadership positions at Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island and Xerox State Healthcare. She also serves on the boards of the Jonnycake Center for Hope and Bay View Academy.