PROVIDENCE Gov. Dan McKee has appointed Richard Charest, the former president and CEO of Landmark Medical Center, to head the troubled agency that runs the state s last resort hospital for patients with severe medical and psychiatric disorders.
McKee will submit Charest s name to the Senate for confirmation as the new director of the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals.
“We are confident that Richard’s decades of experience in the health care field have prepared him to lead this department which provides vital services and support to some of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable populations, McKee said Wednesday.
PROVIDENCE The McKee administration has enlisted the help of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island and Care New England in evaluating the quality of patient care at the embattled state-run Eleanor Slater Hospital.
The two outside organizations will provide a peer review of the clinical and operational programs at Eleanor Slater Hospital focused on patient safety, quality of care and efficiency, according to a late-day statement by the agency that runs the state hospital.
This review is expected to take 60 days.
In a related development, Gov. Dan McKee told reporters on Tuesday that he anticipates an announcement by the end of the week on his choice of a replacement for Kathryn Power, who resigned mid-controversy as director of the state Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals. (She cited the illness of a family member as her reason for resigning at the time.)
PROVIDENCE The McKee administration has now raised its own questions about how much the state can legitimately bill Medicaid for patients at the state-run Eleanor Slater Hospital.
The state has not officially suspended billing for federal Medicaid reimbursement, but McKee spokesman Matt Sheaff on Wednesday reported this latest wrinkle in the on-going saga: As ESH processed Medicaid billing for the months of April, May and June 2020, staff raised questions regarding the eligibility of certain expenses. To ensure the accuracy of bills submitted for Medicaid reimbursement, Sheaff said, the Executive Office of Health & Human Services will retain an outside, independent clinical review of patient medical records.
PROVIDENCE Courtney Hawkins, the director of Rhode Island s Department of Human Services, has resigned, effective May 14.
In a letter delivered to the state s health and human services secretary, Womazetta Jones, on Thursday, Hawkins wrote: Leading the team of hundreds of dedicated public servants at the agency has been the greatest honor and opportunity of my life. Together we have stabilized the department s operations while implementing a number [of] programmatic improvements which have impacted and improved the lives of thousands of vulnerable individuals and families, she wrote.
Governor Dan McKee s spokesman, Matt Sheaff, said: It will be a priority for the McKee Administration to find a candidate to lead this department which plays a crucial role in the lives of so many Rhode Islanders. We thank Director Hawkins for her service and wish her all the best.