Marie Ghazal, RN
Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer, Providence Community Health Centers
Marie Ghazal is Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer of the Providence Community Health Centers (PCHC), the largest network of community health centers in the state serving over 35,000 patients. At PCHC for the past 16 years, Marie has gained significant senior management experience in developing and implementing programs and services for disadvantaged populations.
Marie holds a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing from the University of Rhode Island and a master’s degree in community health from Boston University. She started her nursing career at Massachusetts General Hospital, selected nationally as a candidate in the hospital’s Nurse Internship Program. Over the years, she has worked as a primary care nurse at various hospitals in Rhode Island, Elderly Centers and the Visiting Nurse Association.
In 1982, Marie began a career in public health working as the first nurse researcher for the Pawtucket Heart Health Program and in 1986, became the director of the community health center in Central Falls. This led her to positions with the federal government as a regional program consultant for community health centers and a program reviewer.
Marie was honored in 2004 as the top nursing alumni by the URI College of Nursing. She is a recipient of the Rhode Island State Nurses President’s Award and was inducted by Sigma Theta Tau as a Community Leader. In 2002, Marie was selected as a semi-finalist for the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows Program and in 1995 graduated from Leadership Rhode Island.
Marie remains very active on various boards, committees and community organizations. She has served on the faculty at Rhode Island College and Salve Regina University and has remained a strong advocate for nursing education, practice and community health. She has published numerous articles in her field.Marie and her husband, George, have three teenagers.
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