Stunning news from Governor McKee announcing this morning that he has “regretfully” accepted the resignation of State Health Commissioner Dr Nicole Alexander Scott.
“Dr. Alexander-Scott has been a steady, calm presence for Rhode Island as we’ve worked together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Dan McKee.“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.”
“Serving as the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health has been the most rewarding experience of my career,” said Dr Nicole Alexander Scott.“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. It has been an honor to serve you. 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. 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.”
Dr Scott will stay with the department while the Governor searches for a successor. Neither the Governor nor the Doctor have provided reasons for the departure.
(Picture provided Rhode Island Department of Health)