PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI) announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed Indra Neil Sarkar, PhD, MLIS, FACMI as interim President and CEO. Sarkar, who currently serves as the Director of the Center for Biomedical Informatics at Brown University, succeeded the company’s founding CEO, Laura Adams, on April 1.
“The Board of Directors is very pleased to announce the appointment of Neil Sarkar as RIQI’s Interim President and CEO. Neil comes with a wealth of knowledge on Rhode Island’s healthcare environment and we look forward to leveraging his expertise in steering RIQI forward. We are grateful to Laura for the significant contribution to the State of Rhode Island over the past 17 years and wish her the very best,” said Diana Franchitto, Chair, RIQI Board of Directors.
Sarkar, who holds a PhD from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in Biomedical Informatics comes to RIQI from Brown University where he serves as the Associate Professor of Medical Science, the Associate Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice and the Director of the Center for Biomedical Informatics. Sarkar also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) and is the founding Editor-in-Chief of JAMIA Open.
Under Laura Adams’ and leadership, RIQI received three major health information technology grants under the Affordable Care Act, bringing $27 million into the Rhode Island economy to build critical statewide health information technology infrastructure. RIQI then went on to win other grant awards that brought the total to more than $50 million. “Laura’s leadership and impact on health care is profound. RIQI has a rich history and critical role across our communities in Rhode Island,” said Sarkar.
“The RIQI Board of Directors is fully committed to sustaining the important work of RIQI as it serves a critical role for providers and facilities in collecting and sharing important patient information to enhance the quality and safety of patient care across the state,” said Diana Franchitto, Chair, RIQI Board of Directors. The RIQI Board of Directors will conduct a national search for Adams’ permanent replacement in the coming months.
For media inquiries, contact Scott Young, Senior Director, Strategy & Growth at 401.276.9141 x247 or SYoung@RIQI.org.
About Rhode Island Quality Institute
RIQI is a center of collaborative innovation that advances health and healthcare transformation. Our mission is to improve the quality, safety and value of healthcare and share knowledge that advances the field of healthcare improvement. RIQI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2001 and overseen by a Board of Directors comprised of senior health industry leaders from our community, including CEOs of hospitals, health insurers and health-related businesses, along with leaders of consumer groups, academia and government agencies. For more information, visit www.riqi.org.