Teresa Paiva Weed to retire from Hospital Association of R.I.

Hospital Association of Rhode Island President Teresa Paiva Weed speaks on June 1, 2023, at the 10th anniversary celebration of the passing of the state's family leave act. (Courtesy of Capitol TV)

The head of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island is retiring after seven years on the job.

The hospital trade group on Monday announced that its president, Teresa Paiva Weed, will depart at the end of the summer.

Her departure comes after seven years as association president, including through the tumultuous times of the COVID-19 pandemic which crippled hospital budgets with an estimated $440 million statewide shortfall, based on a 2020 study by the association. Under Paiva Weed’s leadership, the Hospital Association of Rhode Island unified t he state’s 15 hospitals as members, including hospitals owned by Brown University Health ( formerly known as Lifespan Corp.) which rejoined as an association member in 2022.

She also helped secure permanent restoration of a minimum level reimbursement rate for hospitals through Medicare, known as the Imputed Rural Floor, which reinstated “critical funding” for Rhode Island’s hospitals, according to a statement from the association.

Before coming to the association, Paiva Weed served four terms as president of the Rhode Island Senate, the only woman to hold the leadership position in state history. A Democrat, Paiva Weed held the Senate’s District 13 seat, which covers Newport and Jamestown, from 1993 through March 2017.

“It has been an honor to serve as President of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island and to advocate on behalf of the hospitals in Rhode Island to ensure they can continue to provide the highest quality health care for all Rhode Islanders. I am grateful to the members and the staff for their support,” Paiva Weed said in a statement. “After seven years at the association, following a 24-year career in public service, I look forward to pursuing interests that allow me the flexibility to spend more time with the people I love.”

A search plan has not been laid out, with association board members reviewing “next steps” for Paiva Weed’s replacement, Jillian Scott, an association spokesperson, said in an email on Tuesday.

“As we begin the search for a new president, we are confident that the strong foundation Teresa has built will ensure a smooth transition and continued success for HARI,” Mary Marran, chair of the association’s board of directors, said in a statement. “We extend our deepest gratitude to Teresa for her years of service, leadership, and advocacy and wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement and future endeavors.”

Updated to include comment on the search process for Paiva Weed’s replacement.

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