Cheryl Dalton-Norman, MBA, BSN

Cheryl Dalton-Norman, MBA, BSN

Leading with Purpose: Meet Cheryl

Cheryl Dalton-Norman is president of Conduit Health Partners, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bon Secours Mercy Health. Expanding access to care is at the heart of her leadership. Since co-founding Conduit in 2017, she has built a nationally recognized organization providing patient transfer, nurse triage, scheduling and virtual care services. Under her strategic direction, Conduit has experienced significant growth, with a team of more than 150 nurses operating nationwide and managing nearly 1.5 million calls annually. 

Before launching Conduit, Cheryl held executive leadership roles at Bon Secours Mercy Health, Community Health Systems and Mercy Health Partners. She led large-scale initiatives to enhance emergency services, streamline patient access and integrate organizational culture. As system vice president of access at Bon Secours Mercy Health, she developed system-wide strategies to improve emergency services and patient flow. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to optimizing health care delivery through interdisciplinary collaboration, process improvement and cultural transformation. 

A registered nurse with an MBA, Cheryl blends clinical expertise with strategic leadership to drive operational excellence and financial sustainability in both faith-based and investor-owned health care organizations. She continues to shape innovative health care solutions that improve outcomes, expand access and ensure long-term success. 

Vision & Passion 

I have been blessed to be part of Bon Secours Mercy Health since joining Mercy Health at St. Mary’s Hospital in Knoxville, TN, as a new graduate nurse from the University of Tennessee. I chose St. Mary’s because of the care given to my grandmother as we faced end-of-life challenges and, ultimately, her passing. The staff and chaplains were so compassionate. I knew this was where I was called to be.  

LinkedIn Profile 

Education & Training 

  • Master of Business Administration — Saint Joseph’s College 
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing — University of Tennessee  

Career Achievements 

  • Empowered Conduit team to optimize technology, streamline resource utilization and standardize best practices, resulting in EBITA exceeding budget by over 100% and client base growth of 88% in 2024  
  • Contributing author for MedCity News 
  • Recipient of a 2022 Health Entrepreneur Award from the Cincinnati Business Courier  
  • Member of the board of directors of Roper St. Francis Healthcare 

From the Blog

Industry Insights with Cheryl

Health Systems Partner with Nurse-Led Call Center to Improve Patient Experience, Access 

Conduit Health Partners: Interview with President Cheryl Dalton-Norman About the Healthcare Solutions Company 

Bridging the Health Care Accessibility Gap 

The Power of Nurse Triage to Reduce Health Disparities and Drive Proactive, Impactful Care 

 

Insights for Health Care Systems 

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast 

Optimizing Patient Triage, Transfer Worflows to Meet Surges in Health Care Demand 

Key to Health System Success: An Entrepreneurial Mindset 

No More ‘Business as Usual,’ Conduit Co-Founder Says  

The Power to Found a Company to Solve a Problem 

How Nurse-First Triage is Changing Rural Health Outcomes 

How a Collaborative Approach to Health-at-Home Care Creates Value 

Why DIY? Hospitals Are Outsourcing Clinical, Nonclinical Services