Dr. Nygaard is a seasoned healthcare executive and leadership coach who most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of Lee Health from March 2018 to January 2025. With a career leading large, integrated organizations through complex transformation, he brings deep expertise in driving results, aligning teams, and navigating high-stakes environments while maintaining personal and organizational well-being.

As a coach, Dr. Nygaard works closely with executives, physicians, and leadership teams to translate complexity into clear, actionable direction. He helps clients sharpen their thinking, align their leadership with core values and purpose, and make confident, high-impact decisions in demanding environments. Drawing on his own executive experience, he understands the pressures leaders face and provides practical strategies to improve performance, strengthen team alignment, and sustain resilience. Whether guiding leaders through organizational change, helping physicians expand their influence, or supporting professionals seeking greater clarity and balance, he focuses on elevating how they think, lead, and show up—enabling meaningful, lasting change.

Prior to Lee Health, Dr. Nygaard held senior leadership roles at Via Christi Health System and Affinity Health System, overseeing areas including human resources, quality, IT, legal, compliance, and physician relations, and serving as Chief Medical Officer for a large multispecialty group. He earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota, completed internal medicine and pulmonary/critical care training at the University of Iowa, and later received an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.

Dr. Nygaard is a Minnesota native who received his Bachelor of Science from Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Iowa, where he completed fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine in 1993.

Scott has been married to Sherry for over 40 years, and they have 5 children, and 8 grandchildren. Scott enjoys reading, anything outdoors, hiking, biking, time at the cabin and still plays hockey twice a week. He loves dogs and for the first time in 43 years is now without one and making the adjustment.