Chiyome Leinaala Fukino, M.D. became the Director of the Hawaii State Department of Health in December 2002. Dr. Fukino is the chief health and environmental official for the state. She heads one of Hawaii’s largest agencies serving the community with over 100 programs aimed at providing leadership to monitor, promote, protect, and enhance the health and environmental well-being of all of Hawaii's people.

Fukino brings to the director’s office a great depth of experience working within the local healthcare community. Prior to taking the helm of DOH, Fukino had been in private practice in Hawaii since 1985, specializing in internal medicine. She was also a member of the medical staff of Leahi Hospital, a board member of the Queen’s Medical Center and the medical director of the Queen’s Physician Group from 1996 to 1999.

Dr. Fukino was honored by the Hawaii Medical Association in 2005 with the first ever HMA President’s Award recognizing her outstanding contribution to the medical community. Dr. Fukino was chosen for successfully applying her skills and talents as a physician to meet the challenge of directing one of the largest departments in the State of Hawaii.

One of Fukino’s many passions is the improvement of healthcare for Native Hawaiians. Her research projects have included Native Hawaiian health curriculum for children and parents as well as AIDS Education. She has also worked to explore the role of ancient Hawaiian healing practices in the modern medical arena.

Dr. Fukino is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Brandeis University and her medical degree from the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii, Manoa.