Louis P. DiPalma - Providence Business News

OFFICIALS WHO OVERSEE the R.I. Department of Children, Youth and Families say severe labor shortages have resulted in children waiting a long time for some services. / PBN FILE PHOTO/CASSIUS SHUMAN

At DCYF, labor shortages creating big headaches

Government 03/24/2023

The state is struggling to hire and retain public employees, but the labor problems are particularly troubling at the R.I. Department of Children Youth...

E-911 service facing staffing shortage

Government 01/13/2023

PROVIDENCE – The state’s 911 emergency telephone service has not been spared from the lack of adequate staffing that has challenged government agencies statewide,...

STATE LEADERS ARE in a good financial position with a $610 million surplus projected for fiscal 2023, but some say a lot of that money is because several state agencies have been understaffed and overworked. / PBN FILE PHOTO/CASSIUS SHUMAN

Some R.I. officials say job vacancies a big part of projected...

Government 12/30/2022

The projected $610 million budget surplus awaiting the General Assembly and the administration of Gov. Daniel J. McKee has been the subject of speculation...

SOLUTION NEEDED: Susan E. Enck, a licensed clinical psychologist at Brown Medicine’s Warwick Primary Care, says the mental health system was near its breaking point before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now it’s in crisis. / PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Pleas to fix R.I.’s ‘broken’ behavioral health system

Coronavirus 04/15/2022

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, treatment providers, advocates and lawmakers are calling for Rhode Island to confront its problems with access to...

CRUCIAL CHECKUP: Margaret Vargas, right, a dental hygienist with nonprofit CareLink Inc.’s mobile dental clinic, conducts an examination of Sister Anne Kelly at The Villa at Saint Antoine in North Smithfield. The clinic serves 3,000 patients at 53 Rhode Island nursing homes. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Demand for dental care program growing, but funding isn’t

Government 11/26/2021

For more than 13 years, CareLink Inc. has traversed Rhode Island with a mobile dentistry practice, serving elderly, low-income patients in nursing homes who...

GOV. DANIEL J. MCKEE has narrowed the lists of individuals being considered for lieutenant governor to five. / AP FILE PHOTO/STEVEN SENNE

McKee narrows field for lt. gov. to 5

Government 03/24/2021

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Wednesday narrowed his finalist list for the position of lieutenant governor to five individuals. About 80 people initially...

BUSY CARETAKER: Victoria Mitchell, a certified nursing assistant at Hopkins Manor in North Providence, says she and her co-workers care for up to 11 patients per shift, bathing, dressing and feeding each one in turn. It is an increase from the eight patients Mitchell used to care for during her morning shift when she began working as a CNA 22 years ago.  / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Nursing homes care more with less

Cover Story 09/13/2019

When she started working as a certified nursing assistant 22 years ago, Victoria Mitchell was assigned about eight patients during her morning shifts. Now, Mitchell...

GA passes bill to streamline regulations for blockchain financial applications

Financial Services 07/08/2019

PROVIDENCE – The General Assembly has recently approved legislation that would clarify and streamline regulations for financial transactions using blockchain technology. The bill had not...

R.I. State Police speaks about cyberattack prevention in Oct.

Government 10/31/2018

PROVIDENCE – Among events for National Cyber Security Awareness Month in October, some featured members of the R.I. State Police Computer Crimes Unit are...