Valerie Kato has been appointed as the Deputy Director for the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) by the Hawaiʻi State Senate. She will be working alongside Director Kenneth Fink, M.D., who expressed his excitement about having her join the team. With her experience as a Supervising Deputy Attorney General of the Health Division, Kato brings a good understanding of the department’s operations and a mindset for continuous improvement.
Kato expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve the people of Hawaiʻi and mentioned her previous work with DOH during emergencies such as the COVID pandemic and Maui Wildfires disaster. Her aim is to create a more efficient and unified administration that supports each other. Before joining public health, Kato had a successful career in private practice and clerked for a judge at the Hawaiʻi Intermediate Court of Appeals.
As Deputy Director of Health, Kato will oversee various offices within DOH, including the Administrative Services Office (ASO), Health Information Systems Office (HISO), and District Health Offices (DHOs). Her background in law and experience in public health make her a valuable addition to the team as she works towards advancing the department’s mission under Director Fink’s leadership.
