In a surprising move, Gov. Dan McKee has named Dr. Staci Fischer as the acting director for the Rhode Island Department of Health, effective immediately. This comes one day before interim state health director Dr. Utpala Bandy is set to retire on March 29th.
Fischer, who currently serves as the chief administrative officer for the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, will replace Bandy in this role. Fischer’s salary is $207,000 according to the state payroll database, compared to the $175,000 salary of the health director position. To make the position more attractive to potential candidates, McKee has proposed a $250,000 salary effective in April.
Fischer has been working with the health department since July 2023 and also serves as one of the state’s medical directors. She has previous experience overseeing training for medical residents and fellows and holds positions such as the director of the Infectious Disease Fellowship Program at Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University and with Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). She graduated from Tulane University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and completed her doctorate in medicine at Louisiana State University School of Medicine.
The search for a permanent health director is ongoing, with the state in its final stages of hiring process according to Olivia DaRocha, a spokesperson for McKee. The retirement of Bandy marks an end to her service as interim director but it opens up new opportunities for Fischer to step into this important role and lead Rhode Island’s Department of Health forward towards better public health outcomes.