Eating Disorders: Overlooked and Underserved

Erikka Daniene Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAACAP, DFAPA is a double board-certified Child & Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist, public health physician, and nationally recognized leader in behavioral health systems innovation. Dr. Taylor currently serves as Medical Director at Centene Corporation, where she oversees large-scale behavioral health initiatives, including utilization strategy and quality improvement efforts for vulnerable youth populations. Her work integrates clinical excellence with systems-based reform to expand equitable access to high-quality psychiatric care. Dr. Taylor is Co-Founder and Partner of Catalyst Therapeutic Services and previously served as Senior Medical Advisor to Arise Health Associates, where she has led strategic growth, governance, and mission-driven organizational development. A committed advocate for health equity, she has dedicated her career to addressing disparities in mental health diagnosis and treatment, particularly among marginalized communities. She serves as Consulting Associate at Duke University and has contributed to national psychiatric policy through service on the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5-TR Steering Committee. Dr. Taylor is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and the APA, and has held multiple leadership roles, including President of the North Carolina Council of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Board Chair of Project HEAL, a national organization increasing access to eating disorder treatment. Her scholarship and advocacy focus on diagnostic equity, culturally responsive psychiatric care, and structural approaches to improving behavioral health outcomes. Dr. Taylor is a frequent national speaker on topics including eating disorders, health disparities, and systems-level innovation in mental health care. She is a graduate of Spelman College and she completed her General Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Programs at Duke University.