Alexander-Scott To Step Down As Director Of RI Dept. Of Health
PROVIDENCE, RI — It's the end of an era in Rhode Island's public health landscape. After helping to steer the state through the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott is stepping down as the director of the state's Department of Health. She has led the department for close to seven years.
Gov. Dan McKee said he "regretfully" accepted the Alexander-Scott's resignation, calling her "a steady, calm presence for Rhode Island as we’ve worked together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic."
"Her leadership has been crucial to our whole of government response — helping Rhode Island become number one in testing nationwide and getting more people vaccinated per capita than nearly any other state in the country," the governor continued.
Alexander-Scott will continue to lead the department for the next two weeks, while the governor's office begins the search for her replacement. She said her time as director "has been the most rewarding experience of [her] career."
"I would like to thank all Rhode Islanders for their trust over the past two years as we have navigated this unprecedented public health crisis together," she continued. "It has been an honor to serve you."
The doctor first took the helm at RIDOH in April 2015, making her one of just five current directors nationwide to serve that long. Before coordinating the state's pandemic response, she emphasized the importance of equity and access to health care in Rhode Island, working to close disparities and expanding access to care for those with a substance use disorder. She also worked to secure $82 million in funding for the new Rhode Island Center of Excellence for Laboratory Sciences, to house all of the department's State Health Laboratories along with private labs.
"I would also like to thank all the healthcare providers and community partners who have supported the work we have been doing at RIDOH since 2015 to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to be healthy, regardless of their ZIP code, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, level of education, or level of income," Alexander-Scott said. "And finally, I would like to express enormous gratitude to the members of my RIDOH family. They embraced me, taught me, challenged me, picked me up when I was down, and had my back every step of the way."
The governor thanked the director for her work in the pandemic and beyond, saying the new lab will be "a legacy that will help improve the health of Rhode Islanders for generations to come and keep our state at the forefront in detecting and preventing future pandemics."
This article originally appeared on the Cranston Patch
