RI DD Strategic System Transition & Data Sovereignty

In 2025, the Rhode Island Division of Developmental Disabilities (RI DD) initiated a plan to transition from Therap to a new EHR platform. A transition of this scale for a state agency is high-risk; any loss of historical clinical data or interruption in data access could compromise the continuity of care for thousands of individuals.

My objective was to lead a professional, secure, and highly documented "Transition Out" process. This required ensuring that the state met its aggressive decommissioning timeline, received all necessary historical data in accessible formats, and maintained uninterrupted day-to-day operations during the pivot. I spearheaded a multi-track transition strategy centered on Data Governance and Cross-Functional Orchestration.

Technical Engineering: I designed a combination of "off-the-shelf" data tools and customized "Flat Data Dump" reports to extract complex relational data into simplified, ingestible formats for the new vendor.

Project Governance: I centralized all state communications and technical requirements in Basecamp, ensuring a 360-degree view for leadership.

UAT & Validation: I managed a rigorous UAT process for the data extracts, validating that the "what and how" of the data delivery matched the state’s technical specs exactly.

Documentation: I authored a comprehensive "Data Map and Transition Manual," providing the state with the technical clarity needed to secure final stakeholder sign-off.

The transition was completed on schedule with zero data loss reported. By providing high-quality technical assistance and customized reporting, I ensured that the state’s business operations remained smooth throughout the handover. This project reinforced our reputation for professional integrity, proving that we prioritize the client's data sovereignty above all else.

Projects & Accomplishments

Rhode Island Division of Developmental Disabilities

Strategic Clinical Data Evolution – The RI DD SIS Transition

The Support Intensity Scale (SIS) serves as the vital heartbeat of person-centered planning and resource allocation for the Rhode Island Division of Developmental Disabilities (RI DD). When the state transitioned to a modernized version of the SIS, the project faced a significant technical hurdle: ensuring that this high-stakes clinical data remained both accessible and actionable within the Therap ecosystem without disrupting existing state operations. Because these assessments directly determine the level of support and funding an individual receives, any data misalignment poses a direct risk to service delivery and fiscal compliance.

As the lead for this transition, I was tasked with architecting a bridge between the legacy and modernized assessment models. I initiated an intensive Business Analysis phase to map complex data interrelations and identify critical disparities in the new SIS specifications. With time as the primary constraint, I spearheaded an accelerated Release Management effort to modify internal system features. My goal was to accommodate the new technical requirements while maintaining a seamless experience for end-users, ensuring that the transition felt invisible to those documenting care on the front lines.

To ensure total transparency, I institutionalized Basecamp as the central repository for all project documentation and stakeholder communications. This allowed state leadership to maintain a 360-degree view of the project’s velocity and technical milestones. Simultaneously, I architected a specialized Reporting Management framework that provided real-time visibility into the migration’s progress. This proactive monitoring ensured that every individual assessment was accounted for and that the data integrity of the state’s support-level determinations remained uncompromised.

The project culminated in a highly successful deployment characterized by zero data loss and 100% interface accuracy. Through rigorous UAT Management, my team validated that the updated interface pulled support-level data with surgical precision. This successful transition not only met the state’s aggressive timeline but also protected the underlying integrity of Rhode Island’s funding and care models, reinforcing the reliability of the integrated system during a period of significant clinical evolution.

Annual MMIS Fiscal Rate Migration

Each fiscal year, the Rhode Island Division of Developmental Disabilities (RI DD) must implement mandated MMIS rate changes. This process is exceptionally complex due to the vast diversity of service types and the thousands of active authorizations already live in the system. Failure to synchronize these rates with 100% accuracy would lead to immediate billing failures, provider revenue loss, and state-level audit discrepancies.

My objective was to lead the strategic analysis and technical execution of these fiscal transitions. I was tasked with bridging the gap between state policy updates and technical system reality, ensuring that all existing and future authorizations reflected the new rate structures without disrupting the integrated billing cycle or the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) with the MMIS.

I spearheaded a multi-disciplinary approach centered on Data Governance and Cross-Functional Orchestration.

Technical Simulation: I directed engineering teams to "mimic" the production environment in local silos. We executed mock migrations to stress-test the logic against complex corner cases and retroactive billing scenarios before live deployment.

Stakeholder Transparency: I institutionalized Basecamp as the primary project governance tool, centralizing all communications between the state and technical units to provide executive leadership with 360-degree visibility.

Systems Synchronization: I acted as the strategic liaison to the MMIS, coordinating on technical volume spikes expected from the updated authorization interfaces to ensure system stability during the data push.

Quality Assurance: I managed a rigorous UAT (User Acceptance Testing) phase, validating that every service-type variation was accounted for in the new fiscal logic.

Zero Service Interruptions: The migration was completed with no downtime, ensuring providers continued to document and bill services without friction.

100% Data Accuracy: Post-migration audits confirmed that all targeted authorizations were updated correctly across the integrated system.

Executive Visibility: By deploying a specialized Reporting Management framework, I provided the state with granular success/failure reports, allowing for immediate, surgical-level data validation and stakeholder peace of mind.