McKee names new, acting health director amid ongoing search for permanent leader

One day before interim state health director Dr. Utpala Bandy is slated to retire, Gov. Dan McKee has named her replacement.

At least, for now.

In an email Thursday afternoon, Olivia DaRocha, a McKee spokesperson, said the governor has named Dr. Staci Fischer as acting director for the Rhode Island Department of Health. Meanwhile, the search for a permanent health director — a title last held by Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott who stepped down in January 2022 — is ongoing, with the state “moving through the final stages of the hiring process,” DaRocha said.

DaRocha did not respond to inquiries to confirm if Fischer was among the contenders for the permanent director role. 

Bandy, who has served as interim health director since June 2023, gave notice in January of her intent to resign from state office effective March 29.

Which is when Fischer will fill in. She currently serves as the chief administrative officer for the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, earning a $207,000 salary according to the state payroll database. By comparison, the health director job pays $175,000, though McKee has proposed a $250,000 salary effective in April (barring legislative veto) as part of efforts to make the long-vacant position more attractive to potential candidates.

Fischer, who also serves as one of the state’s medical directors, has worked for the health department since July 2023, according to a copy of her resume obtained by Rhode Island Current.

She previously practiced at Rhode Island Hospital for 15 years, and also oversaw training for medical residents and fellows for Lifespan Corporation as its director of graduate medical education. Her expansive 29-page resume, filled with awards and peer-reviewed publications, also includes positions as the director of the Infectious Disease Fellowship Program at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, and with the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education.

She graduated from Tulane University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry before completing her doctorate in medicine at Louisiana State University School of Medicine.