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New Department of Health director starting out with a 24% staff vacancy rate

Dr. Kenneth Fink, Gov. Josh Green's nominee for director of the state Department of Health.
Kamehameha Schools
Dr. Kenneth Fink, Gov. Josh Green's nominee for director of the state Department of Health.

Hawaiʻi's new health director, Dr. Kenneth Fink, is the former Med-QUEST director for the state and most recently served as vice president of Medicare and Medicaid Programs at HMSA.

Fink was tapped to lead the Department of Health by Gov. Josh Green. He cleared his Senate committee but still needs a confirmation floor vote by the Senate, which has yet to be scheduled.

The trained family physician has worked for Kamehameha Schools and served in the U.S. Air Force and the Hawaiʻi Air National Guard. He traces his public service back to his parents, a dentist and a teacher.

Fink spoke to The Conversation on Tuesday about getting his staff, budget and resources in order — particularly at this stage of COVID-19. He said the department has a 24% vacancy rate.

"The staff, they worked really hard for a really long time. I think they deserve our appreciation. They're tired. And I think right now they just need an opportunity to feel supported, appreciated, just a chance to catch their breath," Fink said.

He said the department, which has about 3,300 positions, is divided into four general areas: administrative, health resources for things like outbreaks and chronic disease, behavioral health, and environmental health.

"It's pretty broad, so I need to rely on other people to have the expertise. I'm a generalist, and others will have kind of that subject matter expertise. So it really is a team approach to address the breadth of the department," Fink said.

Fink also said he's deeply committed to safe drinking water and addressing the Navy Red Hill fuel storage facility.

"We very much want them to commit to begin defueling by the end of the calendar year," Fink told The Conversation. "We're absolutely committed to ensuring the Department of Defense is accountable for defueling, decommissioning and aquifer remediation. We're working very closely with them and we're clear on our expectations."

This interview aired on The Conversation on April 11, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.

Catherine Cruz is the host of The Conversation. Originally from Guam, she spent more than 30 years at KITV, covering beats from government to education. Contact her at ccruz@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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