Central Shenandoah Health District welcomes new nurse epidemiologist

Central Shenandoah Health District announced this week that Carolyn Palmer has joined the staff as a nurse epidemiologist.

Palmer is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Nursing and has worked in infection prevention and control at the University of Virginia and at Augusta Health, where she monitored suspected and confirmed cases of communicable diseases and worked with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) on rapid notification and follow-up with health care providers, patients, family and community members.

She has taught communicable disease and infection control courses, developed and edited infection control policies and procedures and collected and maintained data on infection rates. She also investigated and managed incidents in which staff were potentially exposed to communicable diseases, and has assisted with such things as community vaccine clinics and emergency planning.

“Carolyn has a vast knowledge of communicable diseases. She has been a very effective liaison between VDH and hospitals, she a tireless advocate for patient care and she has been instrumental in limiting the spread of communicable illnesses among the residents of the Shenandoah Valley,” said Douglas Larsen, MD, director of the Central Shenandoah Health District. “We are happy to have her continue that good work, on behalf of the health department.”