Health Care Heroes 2025
PHARMACIST: Mark Rogers
Westerly Hospital director of pharmacy
What led you to choose health care as your profession? My great-grandfather, Dr. Charles P. Crandall, was a physician on the staff of Westerly Hospital when it first opened, and my great-grandmother (Nellie) and grandmother (Lois) both worked at Westerly Hospital as nurses. They all inspired me to start volunteering, which eventually led me to pharmacy.
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How have you helped boost the quality of access to health care? One of my proudest, early-career accomplishments was starting the outpatient diabetes self-management education program at Westerly Hospital. In more recent years, I served as the president of the Rhode Island Society of Health System Pharmacists to promote public health and advocate for pharmacists.
What is the biggest challenge you and your organization are facing this year? Hospitals are grappling with significant challenges due to the proposed budget cuts and under-reimbursement for critical health services provided to Rhode Island residents. Potentially having to reduce staff or cutting services is deeply concerning, as it threatens to further limit access to care for residents who are already struggling to receive the medical attention they need.
What more do you feel the state can do to help further support the health care sector in Rhode Island? Maximizing federal reimbursement through Rhode Island’s Medicaid program, addressing the shortage of health care workers by offering competitive pay and creating incentives for medical professionals to stay in Rhode Island.
Are you confident patient access and quality of care will improve in Rhode Island over the next five years? Why or why not? My confidence hinges on the actions taken by our state leaders. There is hope for positive change, but absent any positive steps forward, I fear that patient access and quality of care will suffer.
