Rhode Island’s departing health director, Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, will get paid $46,000 a month for three months as part of a transition agreement with the state.
The contract calls for Alexander-Scott to get the monthly payment from the start of March through the end of May.
Under the agreement with the administration of Gov. Dan McKee, Alexander-Scott will advise the state on the COVID epidemic and pending hospital conversions, including the proposed merger between the state’s two largest hospital groups, Lifespan and Care New England.
Alexander-Scott has served as state health director for almost seven years. She announced her departure earlier this month and her last day on the job is scheduled to be Thursday.
The amount of the contract has attracted notice since it’s a significantly higher rate of pay than Alexander-Scott’s $143,000 annual salary.
Asked about that, Health Department spokesman Joseph Wendelken said via email, “Dr. Alexander-Scott will be consulting on the management of a 700-person State agency, which includes the state health laboratory, the medical examiner’s office, the area of the Department that oversees hospital mergers, drinking water quality monitoring, and dozens of other vital public health services. And she will be offering the new leadership of the Department her experience helping lead the state response to the pandemic for the last two years.”
As The Public’s Radio reported Sunday, Alexander-Scott is among the Democrats considering a run for the Second District seat being vacated next year by Congressman Jim Langevin.
“My focus right now is on the many important issues before RIDOH, and assisting with the Department’s leadership transition so RIDOH is set up for both short- and long-term success,” Alexander-Scott said in a statement..” I’m currently weighing a number of different options for after I step away from the Department that would allow me to continue working to give all people and all communities an equal opportunity to be healthy and thrive.”
This story has been updated.
Ian Donnis can be reached at idonnis@ripr.org. Follow him on Twitter @IanDon. Sign up here for his weekly RI politics and media newsletter.
