Director Michael Fine to Resign from Dept. of Health
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Governor Gina Raimondo announced the resignation of Dr. Michael Fine, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health on Wednesday afternoon. Dr. Fine delivered a letter of resignation to the Governor Tuesday afternoon, and said he has decided to explore new opportunities.
"As Dr. Fine stated in his letter of resignation, he has spent 'every fiber of his being' protecting the health and safety of all Rhode Islanders over the past four years. I am incredibly thankful to him for this dedicated service to our state.
"In our time working together, Dr. Fine skillfully managed a meningitis outbreak at Providence College, acting swiftly to provide appropriate treatment to the students on campus and to educate the state about the response. Dr. Fine also provided invaluable support to help keep Rhode Islanders safe through this challenging winter season.
"During his tenure as Director, we saw Rhode Island immunization rates for both adults and children ranked among the highest in the country. I also want to highlight the tremendous community response he led during the Ebola outbreak and his critically important work to draw attention to Rhode Island's drug overdose epidemic.
"I am continually impressed by Dr. Fine's knowledge, calm under pressure, and passion for keeping the state safe. I wish him and his family all my best."
Fine's resignation will be effective March 27, 2015, and he will help to facilitate a smooth transition.
