The Virginia Department of Health presented its 2018 Public Health Nurse of the Year award to Angela Alley, RN, who works as a Public Health Nurse Senior and Immunization Action Plan Coordinator in the Mount Rogers Health District. Alley has served in this position since 2013. She began her career with the Mount Rogers Health District as a public health nurse in 1986.
“As VDH celebrates its 110th Anniversary in 2018, I am proud to honor Angela and all of the public health nurses who have played such an integral role in our agency’s history,” said Acting State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, MD, MA. “Nurses like Angela truly embody our mission of protecting the health and promoting the well-being of all people in Virginia. I want to congratulate Angela on this achievement and thank her for over thirty years of service to the people of Southwest Virginia.”
The announcement of Virginia’s 2018 Public Health Nurse of the Year falls during the American Nurses’ Association’s National Nurses Week, a celebration of nurses who lead the charge for health and wellness. National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday.
Alley has worked in every area of public health nursing including WIC, pediatrics, maternity, family planning, immunization and foreign travel, epidemiology and Baby Care. For many years, Angela worked as the charge nurse of a maternity clinic. She now continues her maternity work with her Baby Care caseload and is dedicated to improving birth outcomes and removing barriers to care. She always keeps positive customer service as a priority and goes the extra mile to see that individuals’ needs are met. According to her co-workers, it is not unusual to see parents return to the health department just to show Alley pictures of their babies that she has cared for in years past.
“Angie is a dedicated and hard working public health nurse,” said Karen Shelton, MD, Director of the Mount Rogers Health District. “Her knowledge and expertise are greatly appreciated by colleagues and the community alike. She is well-deserving of this award.”
Alley also conducts a yearly survey for the VDH Division of Immunization, collecting records from pre-selected private and public schools and daycare sites. This year she completed nine site surveys. She displays leadership on immunization topics and is an expert resource for staff in her district. She develops and reviews all immunization polices for her district and educates staff on implementation. Her philosophy of “no missed opportunities” has had a positive impact on immunization completion rates for Dtap & HPV vaccines in her district. In addition to her immunization and Baby Care workload, Alley serves as a backup epidemiology nurse.
“Angela Alley is a compassionate nurse, always putting the patient and their needs first. She is well respected by her peers, working in all areas of public health with an emphasis in immunizations,” said Patricia VanHoy, RN, BSN, Senior Nurse Manager, Mount Rogers Health District. “Personally, she is a devoted mother and grandmother. Mrs. Alley is a role model as she exemplifies the best of public health nursing. Congratulations to Angie Alley!”
Alley’s passion for public health and dedication to improving her community’s health has led to her recognition as Virginia’s 2018 Public Health Nurse of the Year.
To learn more about public health nursing in Virginia, visit: http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/nursing/.
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