Richmond and Henrico Health Districts appoint Viray as acting health director
The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts have appointed Deputy Director Melissa Viray as acting health director.
Viray steps in for former director Elaine Perry, who now serves as chief deputy commissioner for Community Health Services. Perry joined RHHD as health director in July 2022 and became Central Region health director in October 2024.
Viray became RHHD’s deputy director in March 2017 and served as acting director for 18 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to RHHD, she was the deputy state epidemiologist for the Hawaii Department of Health and previously worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an epidemic intelligence service officer.
Viray completed her adult infectious diseases fellowship at Washington University, her internal medicine residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and her medical education at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
