Ms. Mei-Ling C. Taylor serves as the first civilian Deputy Director/Chief of Staff for Defense Health Agency's largest network—Defense Health Network Central. Ms. Taylor assists the DHN Central Director with leading the joint, integrated medical system of 39 military medical hospitals and clinics, spanning 7 time zones across the globe. The network encompasses four major markets, the Department of Defense's sole Level I Trauma and Burn Centers, and the military's largest healthcare, medical education, and readiness training platforms. The network's primary mission is to support military departments and combatant commands by ensuring the U.S. military has ready medical professionals and a medically ready force. Ms. Taylor assists the DHN Director in the management and overall execution of network support and resources with a collective operating budget of $2.2 billion. The network provides high-quality, safe, and reliable health care to more than 11.9 million beneficiaries world-wide.
A graduate of Troy State University, Taylor received a direct accession commission into the Medical Service Corps in 2006 as an active duty personnelist, then transitioned her commission into the Air Force Reserve through the Palace Chase Program. Ms. Taylor embodies Total Force, as she has served at State, Federal and DoD levels, and has over 30 years of combined uniform service within the Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. Ms. Taylor also has over 20 years of Federal Air Force and Navy Civil Service, three years with the State of Virginia, and four years as a Defense Contractor working several major projects for Department of the Navy; most notably authoring the seventh chapter of the Delivery Management Plan for the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, CVN-77, USS George H.W. Bush.
Prior to her current assignment with DHN Central, Ms. Taylor was the Director of Staff of Air Force Medical Agency, formerly known as Air Force Medical Readiness Agency, Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, Va. In this role, Ms. Taylor oversaw the agency's operations to include the direction and oversight of the Executive Services Branch, which encompasses the agency's administration, civilian and contract workforce management, supervisory development, financial plans, executive travel, security, manpower, military personnel, and other human capital programs. Ms. Taylor’s team enabled capabilities across three major headquarters directorates and 11 agency divisions. Ms. Taylor utilized the full range of her portfolio to provide and support the strategic vision, mission and objectives, in collaboration with AFMED Division Chiefs and Headquarters Directorates that share in operational/functional responsibilities. Ms. Taylor performed extensive analysis and studies for broad and varied program issues that fall within and across the agency's jurisdiction. Financial jurisdiction included influence, advice, administration and execution of $15 million in civilian pay and a $93.4 million operations and maintenance budget.
In her Air Force Reserve capacity, Col. Taylor commanded consecutively and is currently the Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Reserve Medical Forces Advisor, Office of the Surgeon General. In this capacity, she is a principal advisor for Reserve policy, training and medical readiness in support of 67,000 Reserve personnel across 82 medical units. As the senior IMA, she provides guidance and mentoring to 48 IMAs and their supervisors. She liaises between Office of the Undersecretary of War for Health Affairs, Defense Health Agency, Air Force Reserve Command & Reserve Medical Directorate.