News & Events

03/28/25

The Rhode Island Free Clinic’s dental program just received a generous boost in its ability to help patients receive replacement teeth, at no charge. The donation of a dental vacuum forming machine from BencoDental, was initiated by RIFC volunteer periodontist Dr. Marty Nager and facilitated by Benco’s RI Dental Advisor Craig McMahon. The addition of this equipment will allow RIFC dental providers the ability to replace patients’ front teeth in the Clinic without any laboratory costs.

03/21/25

The Rhode Island Free Clinic is delighted to welcome Lisa Bousquet, Executive Vice President at Citizens, to our Board of Directors. Lisa brings a wealth of expertise as a seasoned leader in Human Resources, overseeing critical functions for the consumer bank, including Private Bank & Private Wealth and enterprise experience and functions such as Audit, Finance, Legal, and Risk.

03/12/25

Dr. Mary McCabe is being recognized for her dedication to providing quality, patient-centered dental care to uninsured patients at the Rhode Island Free Clinic since 2018. A tireless advocate for dental care access, Dr. McCabe actively recruits new dental providers to expand services and works diligently to secure funding that allows the clinic to enhance and grow its dental program.

12/17/24

The 2024 Rhode Island Life Index, an annual survey funded by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and in partnership with the Brown University School of Public Health, found that Rhode Islanders perceive social factors such as health care access and food insecurity as “unrelenting challenges” to their well-being.

11/22/24

(Cranston, RI, November 20, 2024) At the 2024 Annual RIPHA Meeting, over 100 public health professionals gathered to discuss their work and attend a keynote panel entitled “Pathways to Equity: Approaches to Addressing Health Inequities in RI.” The panel consisted of 4 esteemed RI public health leaders as panelists and the new RIPHA President as a moderator. Our new CEO, Jessica Eagles, and our Patient & Volunteer Services AmeriCorps VISTA, Elise Erickson, were in attendance.

11/15/24

During the 2024 NHCR Annual Summit, the Rhode Island Free Clinic (RIFC) was one of three honorees awarded the inaugural Sal Lucido Hypertension Hero awards. Named after the late Salvatore Lucido, a longtime CD administrator, in recognition of his vast contributions to the HTN Roundtable, this award recognizes innovative, collaborative programs or partnerships addressing inequities in hypertension control.

11/12/24

The Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Free Clinic (RIFC) is pleased to welcome Jessica Eagles as its CEO. Jessica began with the RIFC on October 28, 2024 after most recently serving as a Practice Director at Thundermist Health Center where she provided operational leadership and oversight of a non-profit, federally qualified health center that serves over 22,000 unique patients from underserved communities in Rhode Island. Prior to that, Ms. Eagles served in leadership roles at behavioral health facilities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

10/18/24

On Thursday, October 31, from 1pm-2pm, Josh Kraft, president of the New England Patriots Foundation, and Kevin Tracy, president of Bank of America Rhode Island will visit the Rhode Island Free Clinic – the only Rhode Island-based non-profit to be awarded a Community Captain grant – to celebrate our shared interest in fighting breast cancer.

10/18/24

Several RIFC dental staff and volunteers did overtime from October 5th to October 6th as they supported the 10th annual Mission of Mercy Event-a two-day free dental clinic that is held once a year and provides free dental care to the uninsured, underinsured or anyone who cannot access dental care.

09/27/24

(September 27, 2024, Riverside, RI) – The Rhode Island Free Clinic’s Medical Director, Dr. Melinda D. Delaney, was awarded one of the Rhode Island Medical Society’s “4 Under 40” awards at their Convivium meeting and awards dinner at the Squantum Association on Thursday evening. This honor is awarded to early career physicians who have demonstrated a strong commitment to their profession and are making an impact in our community.