State Health Department Is Mum On Former Epidemiologist's Departure - Honolulu Civil Beat State Health Department Is Mum On Former Epidemiologist’s Departure The department says that Dr. Sarah Park, criticized for her leadership during the pandemic, left the department the last day of 2020. Reading time: 2 minutes. The former state epidemiologist who led Hawaii’s COVID-19 response for nine months last year before being placed on paid administrative leave is no longer employed by the state health department, a spokesperson for the department said Friday. Dr. Sarah Park, who was placed on paid administrative leave for four months, had worked at the Department of Health for more than 16 years.