Iris Taylor, PhD, RN, a longtime Detroit healthcare executive who served as president and CEO of Detroit Receiving Hospital and held senior roles across the Detroit Medical Center system, died July 30 at age 74, Chalkbeat Detroit reported.
Dr. Taylor began her career in 1975 as a head staff nurse at DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, according to Chalkbeat. She went on to serve as president and CEO of the Detroit Institute for Children before returning to DMC as its first chief nursing officer, according to her biography with the Southeast Michigan Perinatal Quality Improvement Coalition. She later served as senior vice president of patient care and as president of Harper University Hospital and Hutzel Women’s Hospital before leading Detroit Receiving as president and CEO. She also served as DMC’s chief business officer before retiring from the system in 2015.
In 2021, Dr. Taylor was appointed director of nursing for the Detroit Health Department during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Chalkbeat. In 2017, she was elected to and served as president of the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s first elected board. While in office, Dr. Taylor championed the district’s Health Hubs initiative, which aimed to reduce student absenteeism by distributing food and resources to families.
The city of Detroit said in a statement on Facebook that Dr. Taylor “improved and saved countless lives, serving as CEO of Detroit Receiving Hospital and helping to lead our city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic through the Detroit Health Department.” The statement called Dr. Taylor “a trailblazing healthcare leader, dedicated public servant and lifelong Detroiter.”
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