FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 2, 2026
Media Contact: Cheryle Rodriguez, Cheryle.Rodriguez@vdh.virginia.gov
Former Richmond Henrico Health District Director Takes on a New Leadership Role at the Virginia Department of Health
RICHMOND, Va. — Today, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced that Elaine Perry, M.D., former director of the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) and Central Region health director, is the new Deputy Commissioner for Community Health Services. She succeeds Susan Fischer Davis, M.D., who is retiring after more than four years in the role. A board-certified preventive medicine physician, Dr. Perry has served as RHHD director since July 2022. In October 2024, she expanded her leadership responsibilities by also serving as Central Region health director.
Dr. Perry brings decades of experience in clinical medicine, public health leadership, pharmaceutical safety, and epidemiology to her role. Her career began in the United States Navy, where she served five years on active duty as the senior medical officer at two clinics in Maine. Following her military service, she accepted the position of health director for the Peninsula Health District in Newport News.
A native of upstate New York, Dr. Perry earned a Bachelor of Science in biology, with honors in microbiology, from Penn State University. She attended Dartmouth Medical School and Brown Medical School, graduating with academic distinction. She completed a pediatrics internship at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth before completing a residency in preventive medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where she also earned a master’s degree in Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine.
Throughout her tenure at VDH, Dr. Perry has led efforts to strengthen public health infrastructure, advance disease prevention initiatives, and improve the health of communities across Central Virginia.
Dr. Perry assumed her new role as Deputy Commissioner for Community Health Services on June 25.