Michelle Taylor-Smith is the Operations Officer at the Center for Research on Health Disparities at Clemson University. The Center for Research on Health Disparities (CRHD) works to improve health outcomes for rural and underserved communities by developing and advancing culturally sensitive and community-based research. The Center connects faculty, students and community members to advance research on the complex causes of health disparities and strategies to eliminate these disparities, drawing upon collaboration with individual and institutional partners.

She was the former Vice President of Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Executive and Chief Experience Officer of Greenville Health System. Taylor-Smith also provides consulting counsel to healthcare organizations in patient satisfaction/excellence and nursing leadership. Ms. Smith was responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership while ensuring a high level of quality, safe, and patient-centered care throughout the 14,000-employee, seven-hospital Greenville Health System. Prior to this, she was the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for TriHealth, a multi hospital tertiary care health-system located in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has direct responsibility for the direction and leadership of Nursing and related services. Michelle is a Masters-prepared, Board –Certified Nurse Administrator. She earned Nursing and undergraduate degrees at the University of Toledo and a Masters in Nursing Administration at The Medical College of Ohio. Previous roles include Executive and Administrative positions in both hospital and system–based structures in Michigan and Ohio. Experiences include acute-care Operations, Nursing Education, Community-Health, and Marketing. She has participated in a number of research studies, served as a Research Integrity Officer, and was the Principal Investigator for Nurse-Managed Care to Underserved Population Research.

Taylor-Smith teaches in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Furman University, serves as president of the Greenville Free Clinic Board of Directors, volunteers at the Project Host soup kitchen, as well as mentors at the Women’s Domestic Violence Center.

 In addition to a solid clinical background, Michelle has extensive Management and Leadership experience in Nursing care-delivery, Risk-Management, Strategic Planning, and Process improvement. Leadership successes include service-excellence integration, strategic-planning, team-building, leadership development, and community partnerships. Michelle is a member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives, Sigma Theta Tau-Nurse Honor Society, Ohio Nurses Association, American College of Healthcare Executives, and the National Association of Healthcare Executives. She serves on a number of community and academic advisory boards and has received numerous Leadership and Service awards that include- Outstanding Alumni at the Medical College of Ohio and Northwest Ohio Nurse of the year.