State Spotlight - Rhode Island


Last updated:  April 2009

Monica J. Schaberg, MD, MPH
Coordinator
Rhode Island Department of Health
Office of State Medical Examiners
48 Orms Street
Providence, RI 02904
Phone: 401-222-5504
Fax: 401-222-5517
Email: schabergm@aol.com

Reports

Mortality Statistics

Program Description

Administration
The Rhode Island Child Death and Injury Review Team was established in 1997 and is housed out of the Department of Health. The program has an annual budget of $25,000 that is funded by Rhode Island Department of Health and the Department of Children, Youth and Families. The funding supports .4 FTEs and includes time and effort for a coordinator and a data manager..  Funding for the program is stable.  Rhode Island is also a member of the Northeast Regional Coalition of State CDR Programs.

Teams
Rhode Island has one state team.

State Team:  
The team is compromised of 22 members and meets monthly except in the summer. 

Reviews
Rhode Island's State CDR team reviews deaths to children through 17 years of age.  Rhode Island reviews deaths due to SIDS, injuries, homicides, suicides, abuse/neglect and deaths of natural causes that are potentially preventable such as those due to asthma.  Reviews are conducted retrospectively.  The team reviews approximately 70 deaths each year.  The state also has domestic violence and maternal mortality reviews.

Purpose
The purpose of the Rhode Island CDR Program is to prevent child deaths.

Data
Rhode Island CDR has access to state vital statistics which are used in conjunction with Medical Examiner data. Rhode Island computerizes CDR data into the National Center for Child Death Review web-based reporting system.

Annual Report
Due to limited staffing, Rhode Island does not currently produce annual reports. Special topics reports are being prepared for distribution to legislators, media, policy makers and doctors. 

Prevention Initiatives
 CDR findings have influenced policy changes at the agency level.

Protocols
Rhode Island has CDR Meeting, confidentiality, preventability assessment and child death investigation protocols in place.

Training
Rhode Island does not provide training.