MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – After four years on the job, Shelby County Health Director Dr. Michelle Taylor is moving to Maryland for a similar role in Baltimore next month.
Taylor’s tenure in the Bluff City has been filled with highs, lows and lot of lessons in between.
Dr. Michelle Taylor’s stint as Director of the Shelby County Health Department started with managing a global Pandemic then ended with the controversial fight for clean air surrounding xAI.
Her time in office was a roller coaster of ups and downs that actually started during her confirmation process.
“What I remember most is dealing with my family and their emotions around the vote,” said Dr. Michelle Taylor.
Shelby County Health Department Director Michelle Taylor(Action News 5)
In 2021, an interview panel chose not to recommend the Harvard, Johns-Hopkins and Howard university graduate for the job.
The panel scored her high on being articulate, a native Memphian and highly credentialed, but called her presentation on how she planned to change the health department “weak.”
Shelby County Commissioners pushed back and unanimously approved her appointment.
Dr. Taylor says she was encouraged by a colleague to use the whiteboard in her office to map out her goals for the health department.
The goals went from words on a whiteboard to actual accomplishments.
Michelle Taylor’s whiteboard at Shelby County Health Department(Action News 5)
Like the next time you head to the emergency room for any reason, your battery of tests will include one for HIV.
“Knowing your status, that’s how you start to bring the rate down,” said Taylor.
The Greater Memphis area is second in the nation for new HIV cases.
Taylor led the charge for hospitals to change their protocol to automatically test for the disease unless a patient opts out.
Regional One has already implemented the change and Taylor says other hospitals are expected to come on board soon.
Another goal on the board was clinic renovations.
Taylor set in motion renovations at three Shelby County clinics, plus a new build in Whitehaven.
“It makes a huge difference. The public, no matter who they are or what station in life they are in, deserve to walk in a place that is inviting, and they actually want to come to,” said Taylor.
Taylor says the renovations in Hickory Hill will double that facility’s size.
Cawthon and Millington public health clinics are in the design phases.
However, a phrase added to her board in big red letters later in her tenure is something she was not able to achieve.
Michelle Taylor’s whiteboard at Shelby County Health Department(Action News 5)
“Environmental Justice” is an initiative she’s leaving up to the next director.
“If there is an opportunity to create an environmental justice arm that is separate from our environmental health arm, he or she should definitely consider doing that,” said Taylor.
“This is why they have to be separate, because you want to make sure it can operate independently and be able to collect some of the data that our regulatory body may not be able to collect just because there are two different bodies,” said Taylor.
The environmental health arm enforces national standards for things like clean air with advocacy efforts such as rideshare programs.
The environmental justice arm would create a team that would go out into the community and collect concerns of citizens such as asthma rates.
“There are a lot of health departments that do not have what we call an EJ section, right? It tends to be something that gets created out of controversy,” said Taylor.
That’s exactly where the Shelby County Health Department finds itself right now with community concerns over air pollution from xAI’s supercomputer in Southwest Memphis.
Protestors against xAI(Action News 5)
Activists say xAI operated gas-powered turbines to run Elon Musk’s Colossus without permits for months.
Both the Southern Environmental Law Center and NAACP have threatened lawsuits.
Dr. Taylor wouldn’t answer direct questions about xAI during our interview because of possible legal action, but says the next health director will need to put environmental concerns at the top of their priority list.
“But I would hope that the next director will understand that it is supremely important to listen to the public about what they have to say about their concerns,” said Taylor.
“Take that into deep consideration and find ways to assist the public in making their concerns heard. It is not always easy to do. You will get yelled at. People will call you names. You may even have a security detail a couple of times. You may get walked into the building by a security guard every day,” said Taylor
“All of those things, but at the end of the day, if the public is able to express their concerns, if the public is able to really feel like that, they can access public health at every level and if the public feels like the Shelby County Health Department is doing their job, then as a director you’ve won,” said Taylor.
Taylor says she never expected to leave this job.
This was a homecoming for the White Station graduate.
She says she encouraged two other colleagues to apply for the Baltimore job before she finally decided to apply herself.
Shelby County Health Department(Action News 5)
Taylor says she had to take into consideration a new county mayor will be elected next year which may put her “appointed” role as health director at risk.
When asked what she is going to miss about her role in Shelby County, she said the staff.
“The dedicated professionals here, they just work so hard every day,” said Taylor.
Just days after our interview, the Shelby County Health Department approved those gas turbine permits for xAI.
Shortly after the announcement, Mayor Lee Harris appointed Dr. Bruce Randolph as interim director of the health department.
He’s got a tall task ahead of him.
The health department has already lost $2 million in federal funding so far this year and 13 positions were eliminated.
Dr. Taylor’s last official day on the job is August 1.
Her first day in Baltimore is August 4.
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