About this episode:

Not even a year into her job as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health, Dr. Michelle Taylor is balancing leading a diverse team with tackling major public health issues. In this episode: She speaks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein, who served as commissioner from 2005 to 2009, about what drew her to Baltimore, her early priority initiatives, and how she applies her public health training to her new role.

Guest:

Dr. Michelle Taylor, DrPH, MPA, is the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health. She also serves in the Tennessee Air National Guard, and she previously led operations at the Shelby County Health Department.

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former Baltimore health commissioner and secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content:

The Commissioner: A Q&A With Michelle Taylor—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
Baltimore's Record Low in Homicides—Public Health On Call (November 2025)
Healing City Baltimore: How A City Is Responding to A Mental Health Crisis—Public Health On Call (February 2024)

Transcript information:

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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.