Arlington Public Health: A Century of Service and Community Care

Continuing my 2026 theme of looking at all things “public” in Arlington, this week I am writing about Public Health in Arlington. My inspiration for this topic comes from a recent press release noting that one of Arlington’s school nurses, Heather Williams, was named Virginia’s Nurse of the Year by the Virginia Department of Health.

The news of this honor has led me to discover many interesting details about how our Arlington Public Health department has served our community so well, for over 100 years now. But before I get into the history of Public Health, and the ways that the Public Health department has grown along with the growth of Arlington itself, let me share some details about Heather Williams, and her remarkable string of awards this year.

Heather Williams Named Virginia Nurse of the Year

Earlier this year, Williams was named the Arlington Public Health Nurse of the Year. She works at Wakefield High School, which celebrated her award with a lovely notice, stating that, at Wakefield, “Ms. Williams plays a vital role in ensuring that students are healthy, safe, and ready to learn”, with a listing of the work performed by all of our dedicated school nurses:

• Direct care for student illnesses and injuries
• Preventive health services and screenings
• Guidance for managing chronic conditions
• Health education and early intervention support

This local award was followed by a regional award as the Northern Virginia Regional Nurse of the Year. Then, earlier this month, Williams won the triple crown of awards, being named Virginia’s Nurse of the Year.

Among other “extra efforts,” Williams serves as a nurse educator with Arlington’s Teen Parenting Program and as a Community Engagement Coordinator with the Arlington Addiction Recovery Initiative.

The History of Public Health in Arlington

The notice about these awards motivated me to try to answer this question — what are the duties and responsibilities of Arlington Public Health?

I started by digging into a bit of history. Well, as is typically the case, there are too many good stories I could write about. So let me share one quick story, going back to the early 1900s, when the County began the long shift from a rural area to a city suburb.

There was no public water or public sewer system, which meant that every residence had an outhouse. By 1913, the County Board passed its first sanitation ordinance, with regulations for these privies, which included a scavenger service for what was euphemistically called “the night soil.”

The regulation was not well-enforced, which prompted County Board member Robert Walker (of Walker’s Chapel fame) to quit his position as Board Chair, and become the first Sanitary Inspector in 1919.

Arlington’s First Health Department

At the same time, on July 1, 1919, the County Board appointed Dr. J.W. Cox as Arlington’s first Health Director, making the County the first full-time County health department in the nation. The department also included a County nurse, Minnie Rudasill.

In its first year, the Health Department hired a full-time dentist to serve the students in the school system.

Since 1919, the Health Department has changed in many ways. It no longer needs to inspect outhouses, but now it performs a tremendous public service with its inspections of restaurants.

It has also undergone a name change to Arlington Public Health, and the department is now folded into the Department of Human Services (DHS).

Core Services Provided by Arlington Public Health

The core efforts for Arlington Public Health include:

• Communicable disease investigations and control
• Immunizations
• Services for mothers and infants
• Care for Arlington Public Schools students
• Restaurant inspections and sanitation oversight

Public Health and Current Infectious Disease Concerns

The reference above to the work involving communicable diseases connects to current events, with the recent world-wide concerns about the spread of the Ebola virus.

In closing, let me share a statement that Arlington Public Health sent to me, so that I could include it in my column:

“We understand why Arlington residents may have questions. At this time, the risk to our community is extremely low. Arlington’s public health system is well-prepared to detect and respond to reportable infectious diseases, and we work closely with the Virginia Department of Health, which is actively monitoring this situation and coordinating with federal, state, and local partners. In fact, we encourage community members with questions to visit the Virginia Department of Health website to find the most up-to-date information.”