PROVIDENCE — Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts last night kicked off a statewide tour in South Providence to promote her health-care plan, making the first of 15 stops.

Her proposal, aimed at helping more Rhode Islanders get access to affordable health care, includes eight bills submitted to the General Assembly in recent weeks.

Roberts told the crowd of 50 residents and community leaders who gathered at Ada’s Creations on Broad Street that she hopes her plan will encourage lawmakers, state officials and people like them to work together to improve health-care infrastructure.

“I made a decision when I started a few months ago working on this,” Roberts said, “that I was going to try and do things differently and make sure the voices of regular people –– business owners, families, older people, people carrying for others who are sick –– that those voices get heard.”

Last night’s voices included that of Adella Lee, who told Roberts that she lives in a nearby senior housing complex and last month was forced to make the difficult choice of purchasing the medicine she must take or buying enough food.

It’s a decision the lieutenant governor said Lee and other Rhode Islanders like her should not have to make.

Similar to the Massachusetts system, the Roberts plan would require nearly all Rhode Islanders to have health coverage. Businesses with more than 10 employees would be expected to purchase insurance for their workers, or face fines. Individuals making at least $40,840 and families making $82,600 would be asked to purchase their own health care. The plan would also create a HealthHub, a quasi-public agency to help coordinate purchasing and regulate plans.

Many in attendance last night said they were pleased to see the lieutenant governor venture into their community to explain her plan and listen to their stories.

Despite strong public criticism from some corners about Roberts’ insistence earlier this week that Governor Carcieri should rescind his executive order targeting illegal immigrants, there were no protesters at last night’s event.

Roberts made only brief mention of the immigration issue. “This week I’ve been discouraged with how we do things in this state. But I still have confidence we can work together,” she said, segueing back to the evening’s conversation.

There are those, she said, who ask why she’s tackling health care in the midst of a budget crisis. But the lieutenant governor believes the two are very much connected –– health care is a major contributor to the state’s budget problems and must be addressed now, not later.

A complete list of Roberts’ upcoming meeting locations is available at the lieutenant governor’s Web site at www.ltgov.state.ri.us/

cneedham@projo.com