Patricia Anne Handley, DNP, SCDMH Systems Chief Nursing Officer
Dr. Patricia Handley joined the South Carolina Department of Mental Health in 2015 as the Chief Nursing Officer for the Division of Inpatient Services and Long Term Care Services. She is now the Systems Chief Nursing Officer for SCDMH. Other roles include SCDMH Institutional Review Board Administrator and Executive Sponsor for the Inpatient Electronic Health Records.
Patient safety and high-quality healthcare are key drivers for Dr. Handley and her team of over 700 nursing services team members. She has been recognized as a Palmetto Gold award winner and an Institute for Healthcare Improvement Scholarship Recipient.
Dr. Handley earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice and Master of Nursing degrees from the Medical University of South Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Lander University and an Associate degree from Carolinas College of Health Sciences. Prior to Nursing she worked with Charlotte Mecklenburg Hospital Authority in Respiratory Care.