Morgan McDonald, MD, FACP, FAAP

Tennessee, Associate At Large Director

Dr. Morgan McDonald is the Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health. As Deputy Commissioner, Morgan facilitates prevention and safety net services including Maternal and Child Health and Chronic Disease Prevention, Rural Health, and Minority Health and Disparities Elimination. She also oversees strategic planning and data infrastructure for the state including Population Health Assessment, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Vital Records, and Vital Statistics. In additional to clinical care, she has focused on program management, workforce development, patient and community engagement, and quality improvement. She has been recognized with numerous service and teaching awards, including the Emerging Maternal and Child Health Professional Award by the Association for Maternal and Child Health Programs. While at the Tennessee Department of Health, she has successfully advocated for direct state appropriation for tobacco prevention, implementation of a department-wide plan for health equity as part of the department’s strategic plan, and expansion of evidence-based and innovative prevention programs.

Morgan is board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. She received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Vanderbilt University. She completed her residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians.

Prior to joining the Department of Health, Morgan served a primary care clinician in vulnerable communities for more than 10 years. She also served as an Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and as Associate Program Director for the Med-Peds residency at the University of North Carolina and then Vanderbilt University. While at Vanderbilt, she developed curricula in inter-professional education and the care of vulnerable populations for the medical school and residency programs.