Gov. Dan McKee has announced the appointment of Dr. Staci Fischer as acting director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, effective March 29. Fischer will replace interim health director Dr. Utpala Bandy, who has served in that role since June 2023 and will retire on that date. The search for a permanent health director is ongoing, with the state in the final stages of the hiring process, according to a spokesperson for McKee.
Fischer, who currently serves as chief administrative officer for the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, has a salary of $207,000 according to the state payroll database, compared to the $175,000 salary of the health director position. McKee has proposed a $250,000 salary effective in April to make the position more attractive to potential candidates.
Fischer has been working for the health department since July 2023 and also serves as one of the state’s medical directors. She has previously practiced at Rhode Island Hospital for 15 years and has experience overseeing training for medical residents and fellows. Her resume includes positions as the director of the Infectious Disease Fellowship Program at Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, and with Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Fischer graduated from Tulane University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and completed her doctorate in medicine at Louisiana State University School of Medicine.
