Woodside began her career in public health in Virginia, serving as a health officer in Fairfax County and Arlington County. At the District of Columbia Department of Public Health, she was head of the Bureau of Chronic Disease Control, and associate director for planning and research. During her tenure at the Bureau of Chronic Disease Control, Woodside improved tuberculosis prevention and treatment in the city, promoted anti-smoking campaigns, and created programs to serve elderly residents of the city's public housing.
