We appreciate the recent article by Courtney Teague to explain the challenges the Hawaii Department of Health is facing to fill 20 authorized permanent positions to address the mosquito-borne illnesses in our state.

The Hawaii Department of Health was fortunate to be able to hire 10 emergency positions at the height of the recent dengue fever outbreak to address the immediate needs in our community. Essentially, this provided an interim, rapid-response solution while we developed a longer-term strategy to protect the state against mosquito-borne illnesses.

The department has retained these emergency positions to continue their vector control work as we rebuild our Vector Control program.

Following Gov. David Ige’s emergency proclamation in February, the department rapidly mobilized to create and fill all of these emergency exempt positions within just a few weeks. This included an experienced entomologist with specialized knowledge about mosquitoes.

The majority of these positions – eight vector control specialists — were deployed to Hawaii Island, where the prevalence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes created hot spots of dengue fever cases.

In an assessment of the Department of Health’s performance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted the department’s response efforts were adequate and demonstrated strong collaboration with the counties.

The Hawaii Department of Health was fortunate to be able to hire 10 emergency positions at the height of the recent dengue fever outbreak to address immediate needs.

Filling the permanent positions in the Vector Control Branch requires, by law, a thoughtful process to ensure the department remains accountable for the best use of the funds allocated and approved by the Hawaii Legislature.

The recruitment and hiring process is one that we take very seriously. It involves updating job descriptions to meet the rigorous demands for our state’s current situation to find qualified candidates. All of the job descriptions have been updated, and we will be seeking approval from the appropriate unions. It is important to note that many of the current emergency hire employees we retained will be able to apply for the permanent, Civil Service positions, which will expedite the search process.

We are also conducting a quick assessment on how to best organize the Vector Control Branch to establish appropriate work flow processes and reporting relationships to ensure the funds provide the greatest benefit in all four counties, with oversight provided by the Department of Health’s District Health Offices.

We look forward to the ongoing collaboration and support from the governor’s office, legislators and counties to address the state’s current challenges facing mosquito-borne illnesses.