McLeod Health Clarendon announces new chief nursing officer

MANNING - McLeod Health is pleased to announce that Denise Allison, MSNEd, RN, has been named chief nursing officer of McLeod Health Clarendon. Allison brings nearly two decades of nursing leadership experience, along with a strong background in clinical quality, care coordination and organizational leadership.

In her new role, Allison will oversee all nursing operations at McLeod Health Clarendon, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care. She will lead nursing strategy, support clinical excellence and foster a culture of collaboration, safety and continuous improvement across the organization.

During her tenure with McLeod Health, she has served as corporate director of Integrated Care for McLeod Health, where she was responsible for programs including Chronic Care Management, Transitional Care, Palliative Care and the McLeod Diabetes Center. In this role, she has led system-wide initiatives to improve care coordination, enhance patient outcomes and support value-based care strategies.

Additionally, she has served as care manager for Clinical Effectiveness, where she partnered with physicians and hospital leadership to drive quality improvement initiatives, develop best-practice interventions and improve key performance indicators such as length of stay, readmissions and patient outcomes. She also previously served as a nurse educator, leading training and development programs across multiple McLeod campuses.

Allison began her career as a Registered Nurse, serving in both pediatric intensive care and renal/oncology settings, where she held leadership roles and was recognized for excellence in patient care. She's a 2016 South Carolina Palmetto Gold Award Recipient.

"Denise is a highly respected leader who brings deep clinical expertise and a passion for patient-centered care," said Scott Adams, interim CEO of McLeod Health Clarendon. "Her experience across multiple areas of our health system and her commitment to quality and teamwork make her an outstanding choice to lead nursing at McLeod Health Clarendon."

Allison earned her Master of Science in Nursing Education from Francis Marion University and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina.