Medical Program Director Dr. Michael Fine has announced the promotion of Woonsocket’s Gordon Bouchard, a 15-year veteran of the Department, to General Director of Nursing Services.
Mr. Bouchard was recently honored in the annual Departmental Awards Ceremony for his role as a member of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Project Team. He and 22 colleagues from Health Care Services and Management Information Systems were responsible for the implementation of the first Electronic Medical Record in the RIDOC’s history, an advancement which has transformed the work of the Health Care Services Unit.
Mr. Bouchard has been a Certified Correctional Healthcare Professional (CCHP), certified by the National Commission of Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) since 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Rhode Island College, an Associate degree in Nursing from the Community College of Rhode Island, and a Certificate in Nursing, Licensed Practical Nursing, also from CCRI. He holds an Associate in Science degree from New England Institute of Technology in Electronic Technology and an Emergency Medical Technician Certificate from Fayetteville Community College.
Mr. Bouchard retired from the United States Army Reserves in July of 2009 having served our country in Iraq and Baghdad. In his position at the RIDOC, he supervises 50 nurses, three nursing supervisors, one x-ray technician, and one pharmacy aide.
Asked what drew him to this type of work, Mr. Bouchard notes, “we have a great responsibility to the tax payers to ensure that their loved ones, who are serving their debt to society, are provided the best care possible and that they return to society healthier and better educated about their own health.” He goes on to say “There has been no greater feeling than when I have been approached in public by former inmates who thank me for treatment I provided to them when they were incarcerated.”