Bridget Schausten

In this executive leadership role, she provides oversight of facility operations and strategic initiatives that support the delivery of high-quality care to Veterans across a 36-county region spanning the Upstate, Midlands, and Pee Dee areas of South Carolina. Known for her steady leadership and systems-thinking approach, she is deeply committed to operational excellence, accountability, and strengthening the Veteran experience.

Prior to her current appointment, Ms. Schausten served as Chief of Quality Management from March 2012 to February 2026. In that capacity, she shaped and implemented an organizational vision that aligned quality, safety, and performance improvement efforts with the health care system’s mission and strategic priorities. She is recognized for her ability to balance innovation with operational stability, designing strategies that connect teams horizontally and vertically across the organization. Her leadership style emphasizes empowerment, mentorship, ethical standards, and maximizing employee potential to achieve sustainable results.

Ms. Schausten began her VA career in 2003 as the Infection Control Coordinator at the Beckley VA Medical Center in West Virginia. She later served as the facility’s Accreditation Specialist before joining the Columbia VA Health Care System in 2010.

Before entering federal service, she dedicated 17 years to the Medical College of Georgia (MCG). Beginning as a Nursing Assistant in 1985 while pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she advanced to staff nurse in medical, surgical, and oncology units, then to Assistant Nurse Manager, and ultimately served as the Adult Hemophilia Program Coordinator. Her clinical and leadership foundation has shaped her patient-centered, quality-driven perspective.

Ms. Schausten holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Medical College of Georgia. She is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and maintains professional memberships in the National Association for Healthcare Quality and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Her professional contributions include published and presented works on infection control, accreditation readiness, data management, and hemophilia treatment protocols—reflecting her lifelong commitment to advancing health care quality and excellence.