“Summerville Medical Center has a strong track record of providing extraordinary care to our community for more than 30 years and is poised to continue that legacy for decades to come," said Stephen Chandler, Chief Executive Officer. “It is essential that we build the right leadership team to guide us forward. Celeste’s passion for mentoring nurse leaders, fostering a culture of safety, and championing innovation in care delivery positions her well to join Summerville Medical Center at an exciting time of extensive growth and development.”
SUMMERVILLE MEDICAL CENTER WELCOMES CELESTE BRIZZEE AS NEW CHIEF NURSING OFFICER (CNO)
Member Submission • September 18, 2025
Brizzee brings more than two decades of leadership experience.
Summerville, SC (September 17, 2025) – Summerville Medical Center is excited to welcome Celeste Brizzee, DNP, MSN, RN, NE-BC as the hospital’s new Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). Her first day was Monday, August 18.
Brizzee brings more than two decades of leadership experience, most of which has been with Summerville Medical Center’s parent company HCA Healthcare, with a proven record of advancing patient care, supporting teams, and delivering exceptional operational and financial outcomes. She most recently served as Chief Nursing Officer at sister facility Memorial Satilla Health in Waycross, GA, where she led nursing operations for a 231-bed hospital and more than 600 staff members. Under her leadership, the hospital achieved significant improvements in inpatient and ER care experience scores, reduced nurse turnover, and drove excellence in clinical quality and financial performance.
Her prior roles include Vice President of Clinical Operations at Metropolitan Methodist Hospital and Chief Nursing Officer at Connally Memorial Medical Center, where she successfully led initiatives to improve employee engagement, reduce healthcare-associated infections, and expand access to care.
“I’m honored to join the outstanding team at Summerville Medical Center,” said Brizzee. “With a proud 30-year legacy of caring for families across Dorchester and Berkeley counties, I’m excited to build on our strengths in emergency care, surgical services, and a broad range of medical specialties. Together, we’ll continue to raise the bar for healthcare in the Lowcountry—driven by innovation, compassion, and a deep commitment to our community.”
Brizzee holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Master of Science in Nursing from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, as well as a Bachelor and Associate Degree in Nursing. She is also board certified as a Nurse Executive by the ANCC.
Over the past decade, Summerville Medical Center has invested more than $250 million in expanding the hospital, opening new facilities, and elevating its services to meet the growing needs of the Lowcountry community, including:
- Significant investment in growing Summerville Medical Center’s campus, including:
- Completion of a $67 million Inpatient Tower that increased the hospital’s licensed bed count by 40% to 174 licensed private beds.
- Opening of a Level III Neonatal ICU (NICU).
- In 2023, completed a $10.5 million surgical expansion for a total of 9 operating rooms and expanded Ambulatory Care and Post-Anesthesia Care units.
- Investment in five minimally invasive robotic surgical systems and one spine robotic surgical system.
- In 2021, completed a $24 million emergency department expansion, including a dedicated pediatric emergency department.
- In 2019, completed a $61 million women’s neonatal and surgical services expansion.
- Adding new access points around our community:
- In 2022, a third location for OB/GYN practice, Summerville Women’s Care – Brighton Park, near Nexton.
- In 2021, the Summerville Breast Center to provide comprehensive mammography and breast services.
- In 2020 opened Brighton Park Emergency, a freestanding emergency department near Nexton.
Quality Recognitions & Safety Grades
- Earned Healthgrades’ 2025 America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award for the 4th consecutive year, as well as:
- Healthgrades 2025 Patient Safety Excellence Award
- Healthgrades 2025 Critical Care Excellence Award
- Healthgrades 2025 Top 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery Award
- Healthgrades 2025 Top 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery Award
- Healthgrades 2025 Best Hospitals for Prostate Surgery Award
- American Heart Association 2025 Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus, Stroke Honor Roll Elite, and Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll, as well as a designated DNV Primary Stroke Center
- U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Regional Hospital in South Carolina
- Designated DNV Primary Stroke Center
- Bariatric program accredited by the Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Accreditation & Quality Improvement Program
Summerville Medical Center is a 174-bed, acute-care hospital serving families in Dorchester County, Berkeley County and surrounding communities for more than 30 years. The hospital has a 24-hour emergency room, including a dedicated ER for children, and a wide range of surgical services and comprehensive medical services. Summerville Medical Center is recognized for its emergency, women’s and children’s, cardiac, imaging, orthopedic and stroke services. Surgical services includes gynecological, orthopedic, spine, reflux, breast, robotic and weight loss procedures. Summerville Medical Center is part of Trident Health, which has earned recognition as a leader in the delivery of healthcare in the Lowcountry. For the fourth consecutive year, Healthgrades named Summerville and Trident Medical Center’s as America’s 250 Best Hospitals™, which places them among the top 5% of the nearly 4,500 hospitals Healthgrades reviewed for 30 quality indicators. Learn more at www.SummervilleMed.com.
For 50 years staff and physicians at Trident Health have provided acute healthcare services to families in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Services are provided through its two hospitals, Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center; three freestanding emergency departments, Brighton Park Emergency, Moncks Corner Medical Center, and Centre Pointe Emergency; and two urgent care centers, CareNow Urgent Care Goose Creek and CareNow Urgent Care North Charleston. Both hospitals have received top ranking as Joint Commission Top Hospitals for Quality Performance and are Joint Commission Certified for Advanced Heart Failure and Advanced Primary Stroke Centers. Trident Health is one of the South Carolina Lowcountry’s largest employers with more than 3,100 employees and has a medical staff of nearly 600 physicians. In 2022 it provided $50 million in uncompensated care and paid $41.8 million in local, state and federal taxes. To learn more about how Trident Health is growing to meet the needs of our growing region and how to join our team go to www.tridenthealthsystem.com.
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