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May 7, 2008

Carcieri shifts MHRH director to new advisory post

Governor Carcieri has removed Ellen R. Nelson as director of the state Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals, and appointed her his special adviser on hospital acquisitions and mergers, a newly created position that the governor described as temporary.

Meanwhile, Carcieri does not intend to replace Nelson at MHRH. Instead, division heads will report to the deputy secretary of health and human services, Adelita Orefice.

Nelson is leaving her post to advise Carcieri on an issue over which he has no statutory authority. The director of health and the attorney general decide whether to allow hospital mergers, and have staff devoted to handling the expected proposal to merge the Lifespan and Care New England hospital groups, which has not yet been filed.

The change in Nelson's position was announced by the governor's office today.

Asked why the governor needed an adviser on hospital mergers, his spokesman, Jeff Neal, said: “The governor is still the head of state. He is the head of government. He is going to have an important voice in the debate about these potential hospital mergers.”

Neal said Carcieri wanted someone outside the formal regulatory process to examine the big policy issues.

Both Neal and Nelson said there had been no disagreement between Carcieri and Nelson, who took the helm at MHRH in 2006. Nelson said that the idea for the change came from the governor.

-- Journal staff writer Felice F. Freyer

With 1,600 employees and a budget of almost $500 million, MHRH is one of the largest and most complex state departments, overseeing the only state-run hospital and the state’s mental health and developmental disabilities programs.

When Nelson leaves, which she said would happen probably by Monday, Craig Stenning will move from the Department of Human Services to take charge of developmental disabilities and behavioral health. John Young, currently the Medicaid director, will oversee the Eleanor Slater Hospital.

Orefice said that Nelson’s departure provided the opportunity to reexamine the programs at MHRH, along with those at the four other state agencies involved with human services. Her office is looking at consolidating administrative functions and reorganizing services for better efficiencies at those agencies, she said.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson  at 3:02 PM | Permalink

Comments

Well, another one bites the dust. Everyone in the community knows that Nelson has been less than a shining star for Carcieri and has been one of the most difficult directors to work with. We all know that a temp position in another area of government is the way of saying bye, bye and thankfully so.

mike | May 7, 2008 5:42 PM link

Jesus, we are supposidly in a fiscal mess and have blamed the state workers for it. Now we can create another state position, temporary or not, so that eventually we can give someone more bucks while we continue to whack the "little" state workers. Where does this end!!

David Judd | May 7, 2008 7:50 PM link

Just curious - just how much does this made-up position pay ? lol ... since the governot has no nickel in this particular quarter, yet chooses to spend a bundle on a salary for it !

boots | May 7, 2008 7:54 PM link

Its amazes me that in these troubling financial times, that the Governor cannot let go of these high priced consultants. Over the past 2-years she has done little to improve care or communication, but has done a great job in comming up with a "mater" plan that were never implimented, and helping to further alienate employees within her departments.
So therefore she is like another Steve Cass, being reassigned to a position where she has no say, while robbing the tax payers of over $125,000/year.

mike | May 7, 2008 8:54 PM link

The governor has ANOTHER OPINION about what should be done outside the established regulatory channels to do what - interfere in the process where he has no right to stand?? Excellent!! Next, he can get an advisor to see if Big Bird should be painted blue, and pay THAT person another large chunk of change, only to be told that Kermit and the gang just really don't care what his opinion IS!

That arrogant, elitist "so-and-so" will run the hospitals ragged too, and leave everyone there wishing his term had ended at the hands of Charlie Fogarty.

kevin | May 7, 2008 10:55 PM link

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