Baltimore Appoints New Health Commissioner With City Roots
BALTIMORE, MD — After more than a year without a permanent leader at the helm, Baltimore is preparing to welcome a new health commissioner — and she’s no stranger to Charm City.
Dr. Michelle Taylor has been named the next commissioner of the Baltimore City Health Department, set to begin her tenure on August 4, according to a Friday announcement from Mayor Brandon Scott’s office.
“Dr. Taylor is a world-class leader, and I’m grateful that she’s bringing her talents and experience to Baltimore,” Mayor Scott said in a statement. “She shares my commitment to expanding affordable health resources in every single neighborhood of our city.”
Dr. Taylor steps into the role following the sudden departure of Dr. Ihuoma Emenuga more than a year ago. Since then, Deputy City Administrator Simone Johnson has served as interim commissioner.
Experienced Track-Record with Tie to “Charm City”
A Memphis native, Dr. Taylor most recently led public health services in Shelby County, Tennessee. She also serves as a colonel and residency-trained flight surgeon in the Tennessee Air National Guard — bringing military precision and public health strategy to the frontline of Baltimore’s ongoing health challenges.
Dr. Taylor has deep ties to the city — she earned her doctorate in public health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as a C. Sylvia and Eddie C. Brown Community Health Scholar.
“I called Baltimore City home for the first two years of my graduate studies,” Taylor said in a statement. “And today, I am delighted to announce my return home to serve the Baltimore City community… to uphold BCHD’s unwavering vision for an equitable, just, and well Baltimore where everyone has the opportunity to be healthy and to thrive.”
With a sharp academic resume — including degrees from Howard University, East Tennessee State, and the Harvard Kennedy School — Dr. Taylor will oversee major initiatives including the city’s continued battle with the opioid crisis, and efforts to expand mental and physical health services citywide.
It’s a new chapter for public health in Baltimore — and by the looks of it, the pen is in steady hands.
