PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals announced on Tuesday that it has appointed Dr. Katharine Woods as its new chief medical officer of the department and of the state-run Eleanor Slater Hospital.
Woods took on the new role on April 3, succeeding Dr. Sue Ferranti, who had been serving as interim chief medical officer since the sudden departure of Dr. Elinore F. McCance-Katz last year.
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“I am pleased to announce that Dr. Woods has accepted the position of Chief Medical Officer,” said Richard Charest, director of BHDDH in a statement. “She brings a great deal of experience and knowledge to this role and she understands the needs of our patients at Eleanor Slater Hospital, as well as the needs of individuals who receive services that are supported by BHDDH.”
Woods last served as chief medical officer of the Arizona State Hospital and assistant deputy director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. Previously she worked as medical director for hospital psychiatry and director of neurotherapeutics at Banner-University Medical Center’s South Campus, in Tucson.
A graduate of Harvard University, the University of Southern California, and the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Woods completed her residency at the Institute of Living in Hartford, Conn., and is board-certified in psychiatry. She was also a clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona for seven years.
Wood’s appointment is only the latest in a series of leadership changes at Eleanor Slater Hospital. In recent years, the state-run psychiatric hospital has faced financial troubles, including problems with improper billing practices and multiple resignations within its upper ranks.
McCance-Katz stepped down as chief medical officer in July 2022, after less than a year on the job, citing wanting to dedicate more time to her family as one of the reasons. She had taken on the role after the resignation of Dr. Brian Daly in 2021, who exited the role amid controversy surrounding the state-run hospital. Employee unions also complained of a volatile work environment at the hospital.
Brett Johnson, who was the CEO of Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital, was named CEO at Eleanor Slater Hospital in May 2022, succeeding Charest, who served as interim CEO.
In October 2022, the 52-bed forensic psychiatric unit in the Roosevelt Benton facility within Eleanor Slater Hospital received a new license to operate independently under the name of Rhode Island State Psychiatric Hospital, a separation that will allow the state to seek up to $40 million in federal reimbursements a year. Irina Beyder was named CEO of the standalone psychiatric hospital, while Dr. Pedro Tactacan was named chief medical officer.
Claudia Chiappa is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Chiappa@PBN.com.