TGH Announces Wendi Goodson-Celerin as Senior Vice President and New Chief Nursing Officer

The 35-year veteran will lead nursing services across the academic medical center.

 

Tampa, FL (May 17, 2023) – Tampa General Hospital (TGH) has appointed Wendi Goodson-Celerin, DNP, APRN, NE-BC, to the position of senior vice president and chief nursing officer. A nurse executive with 35 years of advancing nursing practice, leadership, patient care, and advocacy, Goodson-Celerin will be responsible for leading all nursing services across Tampa General with a focus on further developing cross-functional collaboration among nursing teams throughout hospital departments. 

“Wendi is an integral part of Tampa General and has spent the past 35 years playing a critical role in advocating the professionalism of nurses, as well as the growth and development of our nursing teams,” said Kelly Cullen, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Tampa General. “Her outstanding communication abilities, exemplary collaboration skills, and proven leadership style will continue to drive strategic nursing innovation at Tampa General that prioritizes compassion, integrity, respect and accountability.”

Goodson-Celerin joined Tampa General in 1988 as a clinical nurse and has served many roles over the past three decades, including vice president of Patient Services; vice president of Neuroscience, Orthopaedics and Clinical Education; director of Acute Surgical Inpatient, Critical Care and Clinical Education; director of Women’s & Children’s services and Clinical Education; director of Nursing Education; and clinical nurse manager. Most recently, Goodson-Celerin served as interim chief nursing officer.

Goodson-Celerin will continue to use her expertise in leading the Magnet nursing recognition process to help Tampa General continue to meet the rigorous standards of earning the highest national honor in professional nursing practice. Granted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, Magnet recognition is a rigorous process that provides a roadmap to nursing excellence. Tampa General has achieved Magnet recognition four consecutive times since 2005. As a Magnet expert and ambassador, Goodson-Celerin will play a critical role in preparing for Tampa General’s next Magnet site visit later this year.

“I am honored to achieve this role at Tampa General, where I’ve spent more than three decades serving patients and delivering high-quality and compassionate care to those in need,” said Goodson-Celerin. “As chief nursing officer, I want to ensure our incredible nursing team members have the ongoing training, mentorship and leadership development they need to grow and succeed.”

Goodson-Celerin earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Science in Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She has received several awards, including the Excellence in Management Leadership Award, the Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award, the Excellence in Educational Leadership Award, and the Florida Organization Nurse Executives award. Goodson-Celerin has been or currently serves as a member of many health care and professional leadership organizations.

 

 

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL 

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic medical center’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – first nationally in the 2022 America’s Best Employers for Women and sixth out of 100 Florida companies in the 2022 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital’s footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.