Leadership
Mary Taylor, MD
Suzan B. Thames Chair of Pediatrics
Chief Executive Officer, Children's of Mississippi
Children’s of Mississippi’s chief executive officer and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Mary Taylor, is a native Mississippian and a deeply rooted advocate for pediatric care in her home state. A graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, she has dedicated much of her career to advancing children’s health in Mississippi.
Taylor completed her residency in pediatrics and fellowships in pediatric cardiology and pediatric critical care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, then undertook a senior clinical fellowship in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Boston Children’s Hospital. She also earned a Master of Science in clinical investigation from Vanderbilt.
Before returning to Mississippi in 2011, Taylor spent a decade on the faculty at Vanderbilt, where she played a key role in creating the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Unit. At UMMC, Taylor co-directed the Congenital Heart Program, established a Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Children’s of Mississippi and led the expansion of the ECMO program to support critically ill patients with cardiac and respiratory failure.
In December 2017, Taylor made history as the first woman and first UMMC alumna to become chair of the Department of Pediatrics – a role in which she has guided strategic planning, education, research and patient care. Under her leadership, the department has grown to more than 300 pediatric providers across 39 specialties.
During her tenure, Taylor has been instrumental in the development and expansion of the Children’s of Mississippi campus, including the groundbreaking and opening of the state-of-the-art Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower, which more than doubled clinical space for pediatric care. In addition, she worked to develop a network of care through outreach locations throughout the state.
As CEO of Children’s of Mississippi, Taylor leverages her clinical expertise, administrative leadership and commitment to the health and well-being of Mississippi’s children. She is deeply invested in fostering innovation, training the next generation of pediatricians, advancing research and strengthening community partnerships- to ensure that every child in Mississippi has access to world-class care close to home.