Governor McKee Announces Retirement of Secretary Richard Charest
Published on Friday, April 10, 2026
PROVIDENCE, RI – Governor Dan McKee today announced that Secretary of the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Richard Charest will retire from state service on July 3, 2026.
Secretary Charest has served as EOHHS Secretary for three years and previously served as Director of the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH) for two years.
“Secretary Charest has been a steady, thoughtful leader who has helped move some of the most important health care priorities in our state forward,” said Governor Dan McKee. “His work has made a real difference in expanding access to care and strengthening the systems Rhode Islanders rely on every day. I thank him for his work and wish him the best as he retires from state service.”
During his tenure, Secretary Charest helped lead and advance several key initiatives in the McKee Administration, including:
- Successfully securing a $156 million Rural Health Transformation grant, which will modernize care and expand access to lower-cost care across the state’s 18 rural communities.
- Improving the backbone of outpatient behavioral health through the creation of the eight Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.
- Developing Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) for children with a mental health crisis, no matter where they are.
- Convening an interagency collaborative to develop, recruit, and retain the state’s health and human services workforce and implement the Ladders to Licensure (L2L) grant program, which provides tuition supports for healthcare workers.
- Awarding $6.7 million in Medicaid-funded grants to 85 primary care practices to support the recruitment and retention of primary care providers and increase access and capacity to serve Rhode Islanders in primary care settings.
- Through interagency coordinated efforts, our overdose prevention team has led a whole-of-government and community partnership response that has continued to see a decrease in overdose fatalities in the state consistently since 2022.
- Restoring Eleanor Slater Hospital and starting the state’s first standalone psychiatric hospital.
“Serving alongside the dedicated professionals at EOHHS and across our partner agencies has been one of the most meaningful chapters of my career,” said Secretary Charest. “I am thankful to Governor McKee for his leadership and support. Our collective efforts have strengthened critical systems of care and expanded opportunities for Rhode Islanders to access the services they need. I leave with deep appreciation and full confidence in the team’s continued success.”
Secretary Charest will remain in his role through July 3, 2026, to support a smooth transition. A plan for interim leadership will be announced by the date of his departure.