(Providence, RI) -- A former hospital head is being picked to become the new director of the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals. Governor Dan McKee has nominated Richard Charest, the former president and CEO of Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket. The pick must be confirmed by the state Senate. The change in leadership comes as the department which runs the state hospital has been caught up in controversy over a proposed downsizing plan for the facility. The state is currently reviewing the quality of patient care at Eleanor Slater Hospital.
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