Dr. Byron Scott
Direct Relief
Chief Health Officer
Dr. Byron Scott is Chief Health Officer at Direct Relief, where he previously served as Interim Chief Executive Officer and served on the organization’s Board of Directors for 7.5 years, including as Vice Chair. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University, College of Population Health, where he teaches Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety, and Adjunct Faculty at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Isenberg School of Management, where he teaches a Healthcare Quality and Performance Improvement course.
He previously served as Deputy Chief Health Officer at IBM Watson Health, where he served as a consultant and thought leader helping healthcare organizations align strategies and improve performance. He previously was Associate Chief Medical Officer at Truven Health Analytics, a company acquired by IBM, where he supported various sectors of healthcare to improve quality and clinical performance using health analytics and technology. Prior to joining Truven Health, Dr. Scott worked for EmCare, a physician practice management company, for more than 20 years in various leadership and executive roles, most recently as Executive Vice President of the West Division, where he had operational and financial responsibility. Dr. Scott practiced emergency medicine for more than 25 years, including various leadership and clinical roles within hospitals.
He received his undergraduate degree in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego. He earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He completed his Emergency Medicine Residency and Administrative Fellowship at Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was also Chief Resident.
He is a Fellow and Certified Physician Executive through the Certifying Commission in Medical Management of the American Association for Physician Leadership, board certified in Healthcare Quality Management, and board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
He serves on the Board of Directors of Accuray, Providence Health Plan, and Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. He currently serves on the Editorial Boards of the American Health & Drug Benefits Journal and the American Journal of Medical Quality. He holds certifications in Cybersecurity Oversight and Directorship from the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). He previously served on the Board of Directors of the American Association for Physician Leadership and the Richardson Hospital Authority. Dr. Scott was named the 2023 NACD Nonprofit Director of the Year.