Official: RI’s chief medical examiner placed on paid leave

By The Associated Press

news@abc6.com 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) _ The state's chief medical examiner has been placed on paid administrative leave as part of a restructuring of the Department of Health.        

A department spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday that Dr. Christina Stanley had been placed on leave. 
        
Spokeswoman Christina Batastini says Stanley was placed on leave as part of an organizational review and restructuring of the department.         Batastini says no other employees in the state Medical Examiner's Office have been placed on leave.
        
Batastini says the department acknowledges there are backlogs and staffing issues in the office, but would not comment on whether Stanley's leave is related.

The office's national accreditation was downgraded in June after an April inspection found issues in turnaround time and staffing. 

(C) The Associated Press 2015