Dr. James McDonald leaving Health Dept; making changes for family (letter)

Dr. James McDonald, MD, MPH, will be stepping down as the Interim Director at the Department of Health, effective July 29, 2022. His decision comes as he announced he will move to New York to focus on emerging healthcare needs of his family – both with his parents and children. Governor McKee will continue to identify a permanent successor to the position vacated by Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott.

Governor McKee said of McDonald’s leaving, “Dr. McDonald has provided steady leadership to our state and great counsel to me as we continued our work to manage COVID-19. Rhode Islanders have come to know, love and trust Dr. McDonald for his easy-to-understand explanations and simple tips. Thanks to Dr. McDonald and his team, we know we have the tools to keep ourselves and our families safe. I thank Dr. McDonald for stepping up and taking on this interim position. We will be keeping his family in our thoughts.”

Dr. McDonald shared a letter with the public, saying, “… this was a very difficult decision for me and my family. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve in this capacity; however, at this time, I need to put the needs of my family first. I will always have wonderful and warm memories of my time spent here in this great state. I want to thank my colleagues at RIDOH for all the wonderful work they have done and for the important work I know they will continue to do.”

Dr. McDonald’s letter: