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Children's Heart Center Leadership

Mary Taylor, MD

Dr. Mary Taylor is chair of pediatrics at UMMC, where she previously served as chief of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care and Pediatric Cardiology. A native of Natchez, MS, Dr. Taylor received her undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University before earning her MD at UMMC. She also holds a master of science degree in clinical investigation from Vanderbilt. She is board certified in pediatric critical care and pediatric cardiology by the American Board of Pediatrics.

Taylor completed residency training in pediatrics and fellowship training in cardiology and critical care at Vanderbilt and was a senior clinical fellow in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit at Boston Children’s Hospital before helping create the pediatric cardiac critical care unit at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. She was on the Vanderbilt faculty for a decade before moving back to Mississippi in 2011.

Scott Simpson, MD, MS

Scott Simpson, MD, MS, is an Associate Professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. A native of Denver, Colorado, he holds a Master of Science degree from Tulane University School of Medicine (2002) and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the same institution (2008). He completed his Pediatrics residency at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA (2011) and went on to complete a fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN (2014). He also completed an advanced fellowship in Non-Invasive Imaging at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN (2015).

Dr. Simpson is the Medical Director for Pediatric Non-Invasive Imaging at UMMC. Most recently, Dr. Simpson was promoted to Chief of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology and Co-Director of the Pediatric Heart Center (2024). Dr. Simpson has extensive expertise in treating heart problems in the fetus, child, adolescent, and young adult. He is a frequent lecturer and attendant at local and national meetings. He is an active member of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). 

Alicon Johnson, MSN, CPNP-AC, RNFA

Alicon Johnson is director of the Children’s Heart Center, where she has played an active role in the care of Mississippi’s congenital heart population since 2007. A native of the Mississippi delta, Alicon completed her undergraduate nursing degree at UMMC's School of Nursing. She then earned her master’s in nursing degree, with a focus in pediatric acute care, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

At UAB, Alicon was awarded Outstanding Acute Care Pediatric Graduate. She has also completed Surgical First Assistant training.

Alicon was inspired to care for this complex pediatric population following the birth of her son, Tanner, who is affected by congenital heart disease. Her experiences as a parent drive her passion in caring for these children and their families, and reinforce her conviction for the need of the Children’s Heart Center in Mississippi.

Phillip Burch, MD 

Dr. Phillip Burch, an Alabama native, joined the leadership team of the Heart Center at the state’s only children's hospital in October 2021. He comes to Children’s of Mississippi from Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Previously, he served as Heart Center executive co-director, surgical director of pediatric cardiac transplant and chief of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Utah/Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City.

The chance to be closer to home brought Dr. Phillip Burch to Children’s of Mississippi. Now as chief of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, he wants children and families in the state to have the same opportunity for care.

Dr. Burch earned his undergraduate and medical degrees in Alabama. He trained in general surgery at the University of Louisville followed by a fellowship at the University of Florida. He completed his congenital cardiac surgery training at the University of Utah where he served on the faculty after concluding training. He lives in Jackson and is married with two daughters.