5Q: Dr. Michael Fine

 / PBN PHOTO/FRANK MULLIN
/ PBN PHOTO/FRANK MULLIN

1You recently resigned as director of R.I. Department of Health. How would you reflect on your tenure?

I had a great four years, working with great people. … We kept a lid on infectious diseases like Ebola, measles and influenza. We kept Rhode Island the best-immunized state in the nation, maintained the safety of hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants and Rhode Island’s water supply, and did that in collaborative way. We oversaw and reinforced the integrity of professional practice, and kept that process nonpolitical. We developed home-visiting nursing programs, lead-poisoning-prevention programs, and the Woman’s Cancer Screening and treatment program. …We did not stop the epidemic of drug overdose deaths in Rhode Island. … We did not reduce health care cost … [which] I believe to be the single most difficult roadblock to Rhode Island’s economic recovery.

2You’re now moving on to a new venture in health, correct?

I’m trying to help Central Falls build the first neighborhood health station in the U.S., and also help build support for the neighborhood health station process across the state.

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3How does this differ from a community health center or a hospital?

A neighborhood health station has everything that a Community Health Center or large private primary care practice has, but also has a very enhanced team of health professionals. And we expect each neighborhood health station will also have a gym and a pool, and a perhaps a farmers market and a bicycle and wheelchair repair shop and meeting rooms.

4Why Central Falls?

Central Falls chose the neighborhood health station approach. People … wanted better primary care and more opportunities for physical activity.

5What effect could this have on the industry and on the health of community members?

We’d expect Central Falls to have much less heart disease, fewer people with diabetes, no deaths from colon cancer, no new cases of HIV, no new drug overdose deaths, fewer adolescent pregnancies, better birth outcomes, and fewer days of lost work and school from infectious and mental and behavioral disease. And we hope we can reduce health care spending for Central Falls residents [by] 10-30 percent. If Central Falls is copied by the rest of the state, then we’d expect much better health outcomes. •

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