Leading with Compassion: Q&A With Beth Canipe, Chief Nursing Officer for CaroMont Health

When Beth Canipe walked through the doors of CaroMont Regional Medical Center more than 30 years ago, she knew this was the place where she wanted to make a difference. Originally from Cleveland County, Beth's career began in the Medical/Surgical/Oncology unit, providing daily care and emotional support for hospitalized individuals and their families. In the coming years, she would continue to gain experience across the hospital’s different units including Oncology, Surgery, Women’s Services and Acute Care. 

In 2005, Beth was promoted to Director of the Oncology/Renal/Women’s Surgery unit. Her leadership then extended to Women’s and Children’s Services in 2009. Now, as Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Beth leads over 1,500 nurses into a future defined by compassion, excellence and an unwavering dedication to patient care. 

Q: What led you to choose CaroMont Regional Medical Center? 

A: I began my nursing career at CaroMont in 1988 and have spent my entire career here. I was originally drawn to CaroMont Health (Gaston Memorial Hospital at the time) because of the wonderful things I heard about the new nurse graduate onboarding program. That was true, but I learned quickly there was so much more about the organization that made it the right place for me. 

CaroMont clearly valued nursing and nurses. From the beginning, I could see nurses were part of shaping patient care at CaroMont. Even in the late 1980s and early 1990s, nurses were included and an important part of the committees and decisions guiding patient care. 

Q: Your career at CaroMont Health has spanned three decades. What has kept you with this organization? 

A: I was so fortunate to have strong nursing leaders who helped guide my career and encouraged me to continue to grow. I was given opportunities to learn more and lead, something that made me never want to go anywhere else. I feel it is my responsibility to ensure the nurses who work with me continue to have opportunities for growth and learning, like I had. 

Q: You now lead a team of over 1,500 nurses across the health system. What do you want them to know? 

A: The theme for this year’s Nurse’s Week is “Nurses Make the Difference”. I connect deeply with that statement and find it so fitting for what we do at CaroMont Health. Nurses are the backbone of how we care and I want every CaroMont Health nurse to take a moment and congratulate themselves for the incredible difference they make every day for our patients and their loved ones. 

Beth Canipe, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at CaroMont Health holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Science in Nursing specializing in Clinical Nurse Specialist-Oncology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has been recognized as a Great 100 Nurse of North Carolina and a Nightingale Award winner, highlighting her commitment to exceptional care and passion for nursing. On a personal note, she and her husband Michael are the proud parents to two sons, Ben and Patrick, both of whom are recently married – to nurses. Learn more about nursing opportunities at CaroMont Health here.