Tauana McDonald, the first Black woman to lead a hospital system in central Ohio, will retire as Mount Carmel Health System's president and CEO at the end of 2026.

Mount Carmel announced McDonald's departure Sept. 1, as reported by NBC4. She has led the five-hospital system since July 2024, a tenure that included the opening of Mount Carmel Dublin on Emerald Parkway in April 2025.

That $273 million campus sits on 35 acres at 4105 Emerald Parkway, northwest of the Interstate 270 and Sawmill Road intersection. It offers cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, primary care and surgical services, along with a 14-bay emergency department, four operating rooms and a full imaging suite.

Parent company Trinity Health, which operates hospital systems in 25 states, called Mount Carmel Dublin a "hospital of the future" in a November 2025 investor presentation, according to a Columbus Business First report cited by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

McDonald's career with Trinity Health spans 23 years. She joined the organization in 2003 and moved to Mount Carmel in 2017 as its first chief administrative officer. In 2020, she became president and chief operating officer of Mount Carmel Grove City, where she helped lead a financial turnaround that generated $34 million in operating income, according to the Mount Carmel statement.

She took the top job in July 2024.

Beyond Dublin, McDonald oversaw the addition of emergency services at Mount Carmel New Albany and led the system through the COVID-19 pandemic. She also worked to address healthcare workforce shortages through Mount Carmel College of Nursing and other training programs, the statement said.

"Serving at Mount Carmel has been one of the greatest honors of my career," McDonald said in the statement. "I have seen firsthand the care and comfort Mount Carmel gives thousands of people on their hardest days."

McDonald was named a YWCA Columbus Woman of Achievement in 2026 and received recognition from Columbus Business First, Who's Who in Black Columbus and Modern Healthcare.

Trinity Health and Mount Carmel's Board of Trustees have begun searching for the system's next president and CEO. No timeline or candidate details have been announced.