State Senate confirms new Department of Health deputy director

Apr. 7—The state Senate confirmed the appointment of Valerie Kato to serve as deputy director for the state Department of Health.

The state Senate confirmed the appointment of Valerie Kato to serve as deputy director for the state Department of Health.

In the position, Kato will work with Health Director Dr. Kenneth Fink and lead the department's administrative offices, which oversees multiple DOH agencies and its district health offices.

According to a department news release, Kato has served as the supervising deputy of the state attorney general's health division, and as a first deputy attorney general.

Kato was in private practice for 17 years and received a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., and a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

"Val brings knowledge, leadership and energy to DOH, and we are very fortunate to have her on the team, " Fink said.