Health Care Heroes 2025
CAREER ACHIEVER: Dr. Angela Caliendo
Brown Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases executive vice chairperson of medicine
ATTENDING MEDICAL SCHOOL was Dr. Angela Caliendo’s best path to bridge her passion for science with patient care.
Rhode Island small business sees significant annual energy savings
The Rhode Island Energy Small Business Program offers significant incentives to property owners for comprehensive…
Learn More
Caliendo, executive vice chairperson of medicine in Brown Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, wanted to focus on research that directly impacts patient care and translate scientific discoveries into meaningful clinical outcomes after completing her doctorate. Her research honed in on advancing testing for infectious diseases, improving both the accuracy and speed in detecting pathogens that cause respiratory illnesses and viral infections affecting transplant patients and individuals infected with HIV.
Additionally, Caliendo co-chaired the state’s COVID-19 Testing and Validation Task Force, providing vital information to both then-Gov. Gina M. Raimondo and the R.I. Department of Health on the state’s response during the pandemic five years ago.
What led you to choose health care as your profession? My journey came from a research perspective. After completing my Ph.D., I wanted to focus on research that directly impacts patient care and translate scientific discoveries into meaningful clinical outcomes.
How have you helped boost the quality of access to health care? I have contributed to the development of more reliable diagnostic tools, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes. Also, Brown Medicine opening the patient center in East Providence has led to substantial growth of our practices and improved access to primary care and specialists for the people of Rhode Island and surrounding communities.
What is the biggest challenge you and your organization are facing this year? We in Rhode Island face serious difficulties recruiting and retaining physicians, particularly primary care physicians. Salary levels and reimbursement rates in Rhode Island don’t compete with those in neighboring states. This greatly complicates sustaining and expanding essential services, thereby improving access to care. Additionally, coordinating care remains difficult due to the fragmented nature of our health care infrastructure, making it harder to ensure seamless patient experiences.
Are you confident patient access and quality of care will improve in Rhode Island over the next five years? Why or why not? I believe we have the potential to improve patient access and quality of care in Rhode Island, but success will depend on our ability to address key challenges. To be successful, however, this requires everyone in our state to work together. We need a collective commitment from all stakeholders – hospitals, physicians, nurses, support staff and especially our elected officials. After all, what is more important than ensuring that the people of Rhode Island have access to high-quality health care?
