Department Of Public Welfare, 625 Forster St, Harrisburg, PA 17120, US

HistoryIn Washington County, the origins of public health can be traced to 1911 and the formation of the Washington County Branch of the Maryland Association for the Prevention and Relief of Tuberculosis. However, it was not until 1926 that the Washington County Commissioners appointed the first Health Officer. From 1936 to 1958, the health department was located at the Washington County Hospital. In 1955, Andrew K. and Gladys B. Coffman, local philanthropists, donated land for the Coffman (Public) Health Center and the Coffman Research Center, a cancer research laboratory for the National Institutes of Health. In 1977 funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission in 1977 provided for major renovation and expansion of these facilities. Located at 1302 Pennsylvania Avenue, Hagerstown, MD, these facilities now house the administrative headquarters, the Nursing Division and the Environmental Health Division of the Washington County Health Department.SpecialtiesThe Washington County Health Department (WCHD) is part of the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), as well as an agency of Washington County government. Mission: Promote healthy behaviors, prevent disease and injury, and safeguard the environment