Dr. Deidra D. Parrish has been appointed as the new Public Health Director for Arlington County’s Department of Human Services (DHS). In her new position, Dr. Parrish will lead public health programs and act as the official health advisor for Arlington County.
“I’m excited to bring my skills to this role and to work with the dynamic team at Arlington Public Health,” said Dr. Parrish. “I look forward to engaging with individuals and groups across the county, state, and region to serve the needs of the Arlington community.”
The Public Health Director is responsible for leading the Arlington Health District for the Virginia Department of Health. The role includes developing, implementing, and managing public health policy as well as emergency preparedness and response efforts in Arlington County.
Dr. Parrish is a board-certified physician in infectious diseases and preventive medicine with more than 20 years of experience in public health at various levels. Most recently, she served as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Agency for International Development under PEPFAR, focusing on HIV testing and treatment, and co-led an interagency forum on global-domestic HIV learning.
Her previous roles include Regional Medical Director at Tennessee’s largest public health jurisdiction, Chief Medical Officer for a rural Federally Qualified Health Center, Communicable Disease Physician for Metro Nashville Public Health, Sexually Transmitted Diseases Fellow at CDC, along with academic appointments.
Dr. Parrish holds degrees from Howard University (BS), University of Alabama School of Medicine (MD), and Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (MPH&TM).
Outside her professional life, Dr. Parrish enjoys participating in book clubs, exploring nature, and cultural activities.
The DHS is Arlington County’s largest department, serving over 58,000 people annually through more than 100 programs that cover public assistance, social services, behavioral healthcare, housing support, child & family services, aging & disability services, job programs, and public health initiatives.
Arlington County schools enrolled 27,536 students during the 2023-24 school year according to state data: https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home . Washington Liberty High School had the highest enrollment among local schools with 2,904 students: https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home . White students made up 41.9% of total enrollment while Hispanic students accounted for just over 30%: https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home . Overall school enrollment declined slightly by 0.2% compared to the previous year: https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home . Montessori Public School of Arlington enrolled 103 pre-kindergarten students—the largest number among county schools—which represented nearly 12% of all pre-kindergarteners in Arlington: https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home .
The DHS aims to create a just community that is healthy and economically secure by integrating various human service programs under one agency.
