Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott: 20 Who Made a Difference in 2020

Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott: 20 Who Made a Difference in 2020

At the beginning of 2020, Rhode Island’s Director of Health Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott likely couldn’t have envisioned the role she would assume when the coronavirus pandemic arrived in Rhode Island. 

On January 26, GoLocal wrote "Is Coronavirus Coming to RI? 63 Potential Cases Being Monitored in U.S. Across 22 States" — and by March, Rhode Island had its first case. 

Board-certified in Pediatric and Adult Infectious Diseases, Alexander-Scott was thrust into the forefront of the state’s response, appearing alongside Governor Gina Raimondo at daily news conferences at the outset, and then regularly moving forward. 

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No state won the war against the coronavirus in 2020. From logistical issues in obtaining PPE and testing supplies, to determining policy and implementing healthcare responses, all states struggled to react to a new reality of a deadly, infectious virus not seen in anyone’s lifetime. 

Alexander-Scott, a new mother, put in long hours to work to address the pandemic head-on, and will have more on her plate in 2021 with the distribution of the vaccine.