PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The head of the state agency that oversees a state-run medical facility that has come under fire for discharging some patients has announced that she is stepping down later this month.
Kathryn Power, director of the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, said in her resignation letter that came to light Monday that she is stepping down “due to a family member’s recently diagnosed health issues.”
The agency oversees the Eleanor Slater Hospital’s Zambarano campus in Burrillville that treats residents with long-term medical and psychiatric needs. Downsizing efforts at the facility that include discharging patients against the wishes of their families have come under fire from lawmakers and health professionals.
Advocates have called on Gov. Dan McKee to step in.
“BHDDH has a critical mission and it will be a priority for the McKee administration to find a candidate to live up to its values providing high-quality care and services for some of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable residents,” McKee spokesperson Matt Sheaff said in a statement.
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