Gov. Ige Appoints New DOH Director

Dr. Virginia “Ginny” Pressler, MD, MBA, FACS was appointed Fridayby Governor David Ige as the new director of the Department of Health.

“Ginny has more than 35 years of experience in the medical field and has held administrative positions for more than two decade,” Gov. Ige said. “A well-respected member of Hawai’i’s medical and business communities, Ginny’s wealth of knowledge and experience equips her to lead the Department of Health.”

Pressler served as a deputy director for Health Resources Administration from 1999-2002. In her services as deputy director, she was instrumental in obtaining sixty percent of the $1.3 billion settlement fund for public health purposes and initiated the Tobacco Trust Fund, Healthy Hawai’i Initiative, Hawai’i Outcomes Institute, and Hawai’i Uninsured Project.

Currently, Pressler is the executive vice presidents and chief strategic officer at Hawai’i Pacific Health, the largest healthcare provider in Hawai’i.

Earning her BA degree from Cornell University, Pressler went on to earn her MBA, MS in physiology, and MD degrees from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Throughout her career, she has earned numerous local and national awards including the Pacific Business News’ Business Leadership Hawai’i Lifetime Achievement Award, University of Hawai’i Distinguished Alumni Award, and the American Cancer Society’s St. George National Award.

Among her many honors, Pressler was also named Hawai’i Medical Association’s Health Care Administrator of the Year in 2008 and the American Hospital Association Grassroots Champion in 2007.

Pressler’s nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.