MC grad is proud to be back in his hometown as Chief Nursing Officer at MMHDecember 04, 2023

Since 2019, Midland Memorial Hospital's (MMH) chief nursing officer, Dr. Brandon "Kit" Bredimus, has been overseeing nursing practice at the hospital. He describes his role as ensuring that nursing services are designed and implemented to meet the needs of patients, medical providers, the community, and employees. 

Dr. Bredimus joined the Midland Memorial team in 2008 as a staff nurse in the Emergency Department. MMH subsequently promoted him to Director of Emergency Services in 2013. Since then, Dr. Bredimus has become a nationally recognized nurse leader, named a Modern Healthcare Rising Star in Nursing Award winner, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership Early Careerist Award winner, Becker's Rising Star in Healthcare, and a finalist for Nursing Management's Hader Visionary Nurse Leader Award. Dr. Bredimus holds multiple national board certifications in executive nursing and leadership and is a distinguished fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and the National Academies of Practice. 

However, before Bredimus became the "top nurse" and a vice president at MMH, he attended Midland ISD schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, played football at Midland Memorial Stadium for the Midland High Bulldogs, graduated from Midland College (MC) and married his high school sweetheart Heather.

"I'm proud to have been raised in Midland," Bredimus said. "In fact, when Heather and I decided to start our family, we chose to come back to Midland because we wanted to raise our children here and give back to the community that we love."

During his high school years, Bredimus said that he knew he wanted to go into healthcare. The spring before high school graduation, he took Certified Nurse Aide classes from Midland College, and then after graduating with honors at Midland High School, he earned an associate degree from Midland College in 2004 while navigating his career decisions.

"I originally wanted to be a Physical Therapist (PT)," he stated. "In fact, I went to Texas Tech as a pre-PT major while I continued to take classes at Midland College. I was on the MC campus during the winter and summer breaks and attended Tech in the spring and fall. When I started my PT clinicals at Tech, I didn't enjoy them as much as I thought I would."

Bredimus knew he wanted to make a career change but needed help figuring out what to do. 

"I was home during the summer after leaving PT and trying to decide my next move,” he recalled. “I was taking a history class at Midland College from Todd Houck. He was really easy to connect with, and I remember talking to him that summer explaining my dilemma. He asked me, ‘What is your gut telling you to do?' He helped me decide to try nursing, and I changed my major from pre-PT to pre-nursing. It's one of the best decisions I have ever made.

"That's one of the great things about Midland College. The professors are approachable and are willing to listen to and talk to students."

After completing his degree from MC, Dr. Bredimus attended nursing school at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and was the first nursing student ever to win the Stobo Award in Oslerian Medicine. In 2005, Bredimus married Heather, and the couple began married life in Austin, where he worked with orthopedic trauma patients at the former University Medical Center at Brackenridge (now Dell Seton Medical Center).  

In 2008, Bredimus and Heather moved back to their hometown of Midland, and the couple now have four children ranging in age from 6 to 14. They also have fostered numerous children throughout the years.  

Since returning to Midland, Bredimus has received a Master's of Science Degree in Nursing and a Doctorate in Executive Nursing from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.  However, none of that fully prepared him for what would be in store when he assumed his current role in the summer of 2019. During his first month as the chief nursing officer, the hospital experienced a rooftop fire and served as a trauma center for the mass shooting that occurred on Labor Day weekend in Midland/Odessa.  

Six months later, Bredimus led the MMH team of approximately 600 nurses through the Coronavirus pandemic. He frequently delivered updates and answered questions during the hospital's daily and then weekly press conferences, and he addressed the Midland City Council about recommended COVID-19 protocols.  He also organized events with his wife for the community to encourage nurses and help staff stay motivated. 

Because of his efforts during the pandemic, in 2021 the Texas Nurses Foundation and Texas Nurses Association recognized him as one of the top 20 nurses in the state who went above and beyond in 2020, which was recognized by the American Nurses Association as "Year of the Nurse."  

"Needless to say, the ‘Year of the Nurse’ did not go as planned and was, what many of us will say, one of the most challenging years we ever experienced," Dr. Bredimus said during his award acceptance speech posted online by the Texas Nurses Association.

"I'm certainly glad to have 2020 and 2021 behind me, but I'm also glad that I was back in Midland to help the community that I love during that rough time," he said.  

In his spare time, Bredimus enjoys camping and hiking with his family. He volunteers his time helping foster youth as at Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) with CASA of West Texas. He is also a distance runner. In April, he will participate in the London Marathon, and is looking forward to the New York Marathon next November with a goal to complete all six world major marathons.  

On Friday, December 8, Dr. Bredimus will deliver the keynote speech at Midland College's first December Commencement ceremony.