Virginia Aldrich, BSRN, PA-C, was among the early graduates of the University of Utah Medex Program – which later changed its name to Physician Assistant Program – and became a pioneer in occupational and environmental health medicine. Her career spanned nursing, PA practice, research, administration, and health policy, with significant contributions to hypertension detection programs, occupational medicine, and pulmonary function screening among diverse populations.
Early Life and Education
Virginia Aldrich was born in 1944 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Growing up in Tooele, Utah, she and her twin sister, Barbara, were part of an active family that included an older brother. The family was deeply involved in competitive swimming, with all three siblings participating in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for many years. Aldrich graduated from Tooele High School in 1962 and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Utah College of Nursing in 1967.
Nursing Career
Upon graduation, Aldrich began her nursing career as a staff nurse on the medical ward at the University Medical Center in Salt Lake City. In 1967-68, she took a temporary position as a staff nurse at Kida Nursing Home in Honolulu, Hawaii, gaining valuable experience in different healthcare settings. Returning to Utah as team leader on the medical ward at the University Medical Center (1968), and then team leader of the coronary care unit at the same institution (1969-70).
Virginia Aldrich’s personal and professional lives intertwined when she met John Aldrich while working as a nurse in the ICU at the University of Utah. John was an intern on his first rotation, and they married on June 23, 1969, the last day of his internship. When John was selected for infectious disease training which required additional training before going to Vietnam, Virginia temporarily left nursing to accompany him during his Army training. After John returned from Vietnam in 1972 the couple continued their individual careers – a decision that enabled both to pursue demanding professional paths.
Transition to PA
In 1971, Aldrich was hired by the University of Utah’s Department of Behavioral Science to work as a nurse on a rural health project that was providing nursing personnel to nursing homes in several rural communities. This experience in community health would prove foundational to her later work.
Aldrich became part of a national research project of 14-centers titled Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program (HDFP) serving as clinic coordinator from 1972 to 1980. She worked alongside PA Ron Ross and a team that evaluated and treated patients admitted to the program, collaborating with various cardiologists from the university and a clinical pharmacist. This multidisciplinary experience exposed her to the expanding role of the PA in healthcare delivery.
By this time, Dr. Hilmon Castle had formed the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Utah, and the Utah Medex Program was established; Aldrich was accepted into it. She became a PA with national certification in 1974, making her part of the first wave of formally trained PAs in Utah. During this time, Aldrich was assigned to the HDFP steering committee on medical care and also served from 1975-79 on an HDFP subcommittee. This team of physicians, nurses, and a single PA participated in field visit-peer review of the 14 clinical centers, which required travel across the United States.
Occupational and Environmental Health
In 1980-86, Aldrich joined the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of Utah, which had just been funded to train physicians, nurses, and others in industrial hygiene and safety. She served as a PA and clinic coordinator at the University’s recently established Occupational Medicine Clinic. Those in training participated in many National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) studies, examining employee exposures across a variety of settings. Aldrich coordinated studies involving pulmonary function assessment in diverse environments – from asbestos and fiberglass manufacturing to mushroom workers, soda ash operations, and other mining operations, including gilsonite mining.
With her certification in pulmonary function testing (PFT), Aldrich became involved in epidemiological research on occupational medicine and in pulmonary function screening of American Indian and Hispanic persons, developing race-specific reference equations. This groundbreaking work addressed the need for more accurate baseline measurements for diverse populations in occupational health screening.
Research and Publications
Virginia Aldrich’s research contributions during this period were significant. She co-authored several important publications in the Journal of Occupational Medicine. These publications reflected her diverse research interests, ranging from infectious diseases to occupational exposures and the establishment of appropriate reference standards for underserved populations.
Professional Community Activities
Aldrich was deeply committed to advancing the PA profession at both the state and national levels. She served on the Utah State Medical Society’s Physician Assistant Committee as the PA representative from 1979-80 and again from 1984-86. She was a charter member of the Utah Academy of Physician Assistants (UAPA), serving on the board from 1979-80.
While on the board, she served as president-elect (1978), president (1979), and immediate past president (1980). She also served as CME chairperson for the Snowbird Conference (1979-81), state legislative coordinator (1980-86), and UAPA’s delegate to AAPA House of Delegates from 1979-81 and again in 1983-84 and 1987-88.
On the national level, Aldrich was active in the American Academy of PAs (AAPA), serving on various committees, including the Judicial Affairs Committee (1980-83), the Ad Hoc Committee for Policy Manual Review (1981-82), and the AAPA State Legislative Subcommittee as Western States Representative (1987-88).
Additional professional affiliations included serving on the Health Systems Agency’s Wasatch South Subarea Advisory Council (March 1980-81) and the Utah Heart Association’s Membership Committee for Physician Assistants (1980).
Later Career and Private Practice
In 1986, Aldrich participated in an epidemiological study evaluating the health hazards involved in fiberglass manufacturing. This involved pulmonary function surveillance in various plants around the country. From 1988 to 2000, Aldrich worked as a health care specialist with Industrial Health Incorporated (IHI), a private company run by partners who had worked at the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. During this period, Aldrich helped organize and conduct blood lead studies on children’s environmental exposures. She also participated in multiple employee surveillance programs such as indoor air quality and hospital hazardous materials. IHI expanded and opened offices in other cities, demonstrating the growing demand for occupational and environmental health expertise. Aldrich retired from the profession in 2000.
Personal Life and Continuing Interests
Virginia’s marriage to John Aldrich has lasted 56 years. For 25 years they have been active volunteers with the Adopt-A-Native-Elder program in Salt Lake City, making yearly trips to the Navajo reservation, attending rug shows, and spending time with Navajo Elders and families. This commitment to service reflects Virginia’s lifelong dedication to underserved populations.
Since retirement, they have found even more time to be active in their favorite outdoor pursuits, such as hiking camping and fly fishing. They have completed challenging physical feats such as the St. George Marathon and various triathlons.
Virginia completed a 200-hour Kripalu Yoga Teaching Training program in 1994, with additional training since then. She has offered a variety of yoga classes at the Inner Light Center for the last 30 years. Her spiritual practices extended beyond yoga to include Buddhism and other contemplative traditions, with retreats held throughout the United States and international travel to Italy, Costa Rica, and Greece.
Acknowledgments:
This biography was written by Randy Danielsen with the assistance of Virginia Aldrich. It was submitted to the Society in December 2025. All photographs are courtesy of Virginia Aldrich.
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