Deonna Taylor, PhD, ACNP, RN, has been named Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Adult Ambulatory Nursing. Taylor has held the position on an interim basis since February 2026.
She succeeds Michele Hasselblad, DNP, RN, NE-BC, who was appointed Chief Nursing Officer for Vanderbilt University Hospital earlier this year.
“Deonna’s experience and insight are invaluable to leading our ambulatory nursing services,” said Wendy Monaci, MBA, President of the Adult Ambulatory Division. “Under her thoughtful leadership and guidance, ambulatory nursing will continue to advance exceptional, innovative care for every patient and family we serve.”
In her new role, Taylor will continue providing strategic leadership for nursing practice across more than 400 ambulatory clinical sites across Middle Tennessee, providing diagnostic, surgical, infusion, primary care, specialty care and home-based services.
Among her leadership priorities are expanding standardized technology processes across ambulatory locations and strengthening specialty services through standardized systemwide, evidence-based clinical practice.
Taylor has led numerous initiatives to improve operations and opportunities for the nursing workforce. She co-developed the adult ambulatory continuing education partnership with TCAT Nashville, creating a career advancement track for medical assistants to become licensed practical nurses. She also helped centralize prescription renewal processes across adult ambulatory locations and improve clinical workflows through automation processes, and she co-led the implementation of ambulatory-specific safety huddles.
Throughout her leadership career, Taylor has championed shared governance, interdisciplinary collaboration and operational excellence that support Magnet nursing practices.
“Deonna understands the unique challenges our nursing workforce faces in ambulatory settings and is deeply committed to creating an environment that expands opportunities for nurses while supporting exceptional patient care. I am excited to see her continue leading ambulatory nursing,” said Karen Keady, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, System Chief Nursing Officer.
Taylor joined Vanderbilt Health in 2003 as a nurse in the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant unit. Since then, she has held several leadership roles, including Administrative Director of Clinical Transplant Services and Associate Nursing Officer for the Vanderbilt Transplant Center and Vanderbilt Lung Institute. In 2024, she was appointed Associate Vice President and Associate Chief Nursing Officer before transitioning into the interim Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer role for Adult Ambulatory Nursing in 2026.
In addition to her leadership responsibilities, she is a current fellow in The Health Management Academy Fellows Program for Nurse Executives, contributes to numerous organizational committees, and mentors nursing professionals pursuing nursing and advanced practice degrees.
Taylor earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and completed both her Master of Science in Nursing and doctorate in nursing science at Vanderbilt University.
