Nicole Alexander-Scott | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health | |
| In office April 2015 – January 2022 | |
| Governor | |
| Preceded by | Michael Fine[1] |
| Succeeded by | James McDonald (interim) |
| Personal details | |
| Education | |
Nicole Alexander-Scott is an American infectious disease specialist who served as Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health from April 2015 to January 2022. She was the first African-American to serve in the role.[2]
Education[edit]
Nicole Alexander-Scott grew up in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York City.[3] Her mother worked as a nurse and her father died when she was 11.[4][5] Alexander-Scott graduated from an all-girls Catholic high school and attended Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology. She graduated from Cornell with a B.Sc. in Human Development and Family Studies in 1997.[6]
She earned her M.D. from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University in 2001 and completed her residency at Stony Brook University Hospital, in Stony Brook, New York. In 2005, she moved to Rhode Island to complete an infectious disease fellowship at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. In 2011, she earned a Masters of Public Health degree from the Brown University School of Public Health.[7]
Career[edit]
Alexander-Scott served as a consultant to the Rhode Island Department of Health during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. She was appointed Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health on April 16, 2015, succeeding Dr. Michael Fine.[8]
From 2018 to 2019, she served as president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.[9]
Alexander-Scott has played an active role in the Rhode Island Department of Health's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Rhode Island.[8] In December 2020, she tested positive for COVID-19.[10]
Alexander-Scott was reappointed in 2020 to a five-year term.[11] However, in January 2022, she announced her resigned from the state Department of Health.[11] James McDonald succeeded her as interim director of the Department in late January 2022.[12]
Honors and awards[edit]
- Doctorate of Humane Letters, Brown University, 2022[13]
References[edit]
- ^ "Raimondo Nominates Dr. Alexander-Scott for Director of the Department of Health". ri.gov. 3 March 2015.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Edward (April 10, 2020). "Rhode Island's top doctor steps up to the podium amid the epidemic - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
- ^ Salit, Richard. "R.I.'s new health director passionate about making a difference". providencejournal.com. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Edward (April 10, 2020). "Rhode Island's top doctor steps up to the podium amid the epidemic - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
- ^ "R.I. health director uses mother's story to inspire URI nursing students to fight health disparity". Retrieved 2021-12-20.
- ^ "Nicole Alexander-Scott on Where Health Policy Is Heading in Rhode Island | Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy". watson.brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
- ^ Miller, G. Wayne. "Front and center: Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott". providencejournal.com. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
- ^ a b "How Alexander-Scott emerged as a rock star in RI state government". The Public's Radio. 2020-05-29. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
- ^ "About Us: Department of Health". health.ri.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
- ^ "Dr. Alexander-Scott tests positive for COVID-19; Raimondo negative and in quarantine". WPRI.com. 2020-12-13. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
- ^ a b Gregg, Katherine. "Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott resigns as Rhode Island health director". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-13.
- ^ Anderson, Katherine Gregg and Patrick. "Gov. McKee appoints interim state health director while RI searches for Alexander-Scott replacement". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
- ^ "Pelosi, Shaggy, Berkley to receive honorary degrees". The Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2022-05-29.