Dr. Staci Fischer has been named as the acting director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, taking over from Interim State Health Director Dr. Utpala Bandi. The governor, Gov. Dan McKee made this announcement on Thursday afternoon in an email.
Dr. Bandi had given notice in January that she would resign from her state post effective March 29 and Fisher, who currently serves as chief administrative officer of the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, will step into the role temporarily. The search for a permanent health director is ongoing and the state is currently in its final stages of hiring, according to Olivia DaRocha, a spokeswoman for McKee.
Fisher has been with the health department since July 2023 and is also one of the state’s medical directors. She has experience supervising training for medical residents and fellows, having previously held positions as director of the Infectious Disease Fellowship Program at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, as well as with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Fisher received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Tulane University and her doctorate in medicine from Louisiana State University School of Medicine.
The salary for Fisher’s new role is $207,000 per year according to the state salary database, which is less than her current position with a salary of $175,000 but higher than what was offered to potential candidates when they were applying for the position last year by Gov Dan McKee proposed a $250,000 salary effective April to make it more attractive to potential candidates.