Dr. Nygaard served as Chief Operating Officer of Lee Healt
h from March 2018 to January 2025, overseeing operations for a $3.4 billion health system. His leadership encompassed four adult acute care hospitals totaling 1,625 beds, the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, and a wide range of post-acute services including skilled nursing, home health, infusion services, and patient safety initiatives. He also managed the Lee Physician Group, a 1,130-provider multispecialty practice, as well as outpatient services such as lab work, imaging, rehabilitation, and the Center for Care Transformation.
Prior to joining Lee Health, Dr. Nygaard held senior leadership roles at Via Christi Health System in Kansas and Affinity Health System in Wisconsin. At Via Christi, he was Senior Vice President of Corporate Services, responsible for areas such as human resources, IT, compliance, and physician relations. At Affinity, he served as Chief Medical Officer, overseeing a 230-physician group and managing clinical strategy for the affiliated health plan. A Minnesota native, Dr. Nygaard earned his B.S. from Hamline University, M.D. from the University of Minnesota, completed residency and fellowship at the University of Iowa, and earned an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.