BayCare Names Three to Vice President/Chief Medical Officer Roles

BayCare has named Dr. Anand Nayee, Dr. Megan Tirone and Dr. Ruvan Wickramasinghe to vice president/chief medical officer (CMO) roles, effective Jan. 5. 

Due to retirements and strategic focus, the health system is announcing the new roles for these physician leaders to help oversee the care of patients across its 16 hospitals. 

As CMOs, they will assist the medical staff and hospital president at their respective hospitals in providing safe, effective medical care to the public. Their responsibilities will include training new physicians in the hospital’s policies and keeping staff current on health regulations. They also will provide clinical oversight to physicians, ensure regulatory compliance, evaluate quality of services and represent their hospitals at BayCare and community meetings. 

Dr. Anand Nayee 
Dr. Nayee has been promoted to vice president and CMO of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel and St. Joseph’s Hospital-North. He became director and CMO of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in July 2023 and adds BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel with the retirement of Dr. Mark Vaaler, who has served as CMO since the hospital opened in 2023. 

“This is an exciting time for the BayCare Physician Enterprise. We are delighted to promote Dr. Anand Nayee to vice president and CMO of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel and St. Joseph’s Hospital-North,” said BayCare Chief Physician Executive Dr. Sowmya Viswanathan. “Dr. Nayee’s expertise and dedication to our clinical team and patients have been witnessed during his tenure at BayCare for more than a decade. We are confident he will add tremendous value and innovation in his new executive leadership role.” 

"I hope to bring the same energy and vision that helped me create a culture at St. Joseph’s-North and help Wesly Chapel become successful as it can be,” Dr. Nayee said. “When I first moved to Tampa, I bought my first house in Wesley Chapel. Later I moved to the Lutz/Carrollwood area near St. Joseph’s-North. Coming back to Wesley chapel in this dual role is a full circle for me.” 

Dr. Nayee is board certified in internal medicine and affiliated with BayCare Medical Group and BayCare Physician Partners. He previously served as chief of staff and chief of medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital. In these positions, he provided leadership and management on care delivery, hospital strategy, attaining outstanding patient satisfaction and organizational structure. Dr. Nayee also had oversight, direction and development of outpatient and inpatient services at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Also, while at St. Joseph’s, Dr. Nayee was manager and lead physician of the St. Joseph’s hospitalists group of physicians. 

Dr. Nayee is a member of the American College of Physicians and the American Association for Physician Leadership. He earned his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. He completed a residency and internship at Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he served as chief resident. Dr. Nayee holds an MBA from the University of Florida in Gainesville and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. 

Dr. Megan Tirone 
Dr. Tirone has been promoted to vice president and CMO of St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, Winter Haven Women’s Hospital and Women’s Services for the health system. 

“BayCare Health System continues to grow, innovate and transform. As we expand our Women’s Services strategies, we are delighted to promote Dr. Megan Tirone to vice president and CMO for St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, Winter Haven Women’s Hospital and Women’s Services,” said Dr. Viswanathan. “Dr. Tirone is passionate about providing the absolute best in women’s health services. She has extensive experience serving as an OB/GYN physician and authentic physician leader. We are confident she will guide us to the next level of reimagining women’s health care delivery and its growth journey.” 

In this pivotal leadership role, Dr. Tirone will guide medical excellence at both St. Joseph's Women's Hospital and Winter Haven Women's Hospital, while simultaneously serving as medical director of the Women's Clinical Institute. Her vision encompasses creating a unified standard of exceptional care throughout BayCare's women's services, ensuring every patient receives outstanding, evidence-based treatment. This comprehensive approach combines strategic innovation with unwavering dedication to quality, setting new benchmarks for women's health care in the region. 

“I’m honored to bring my passion and expertise in women’s health care on this transformative journey to elevate women’s services across the BayCare Health System,” said Dr. Tirone, who has served as director and CMO of St. Joseph's Women's Hospital and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital since February 2021. A search is underway for a CMO for the children’s hospital. 

She is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) and previously served as a physician advisor for several BayCare hospitals. She also has worked as an OB/GYN at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg and has practiced in Virginia and Texas. 

Dr. Tirone earned her medical degree from the Tulane University School of Medicine. She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the University of Texas Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in Houston and served as chief resident. She received a Master of Public Health degree from the Tulane University Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and her Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University. 

Dr. Ruvan Wickramasinghe 
Dr. Wickramasinghe has been promoted to vice president and CMO of Mease Countryside and Mease Dunedin hospitals. He has served as interim CMO at the hospitals since June 2024 and as the medical director of the BayCare Medical Group Hospitalist and Palliative Care programs. 

“Dr. Wickramasinghe is a transformational physician leader. He has done an outstanding job leading our clinical teams as interim CMO, especially during a challenging hurricane season this year. It made perfect sense for us to promote him to the official role, serving as the vice president and CMO for Mease Countryside and Mease Dunedin hospitals,” said Dr. Viswanathan. 

“Serving as the medical director for BayCare Medical Group’s Hospitalist, Palliative Care and Neurohospitalist programs has been an amazingly gratifying journey of teamwork, learning and growth. I am delighted to have the privilege of serving as the next chief medical officer of Mease hospitals and to continue contributing to BayCare’s vision of being ‘the best place to work, receive and give care,’” Dr. Wickramasinghe said. “I look forward to working with the Mease medical staff, hospital and health system leadership and all team members to provide the highest quality of care to our community.” 

Dr. Wickramasinghe has published research in peer-reviewed journals and is board certified in both internal medicine and hospice and palliative medicine. He previously served as the Physician Champion of Mease Countryside Hospital’s Schwartz Center Rounds®, which originated at Massachusetts General Hospital and supports health care professionals in providing care with compassion and empathy.  He has been recognized as a Senior Fellow of Hospital Medicine and is a member of the Society of Hospital Medicine and American College of Physicians. 

He graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in psychology and earned his medical degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. He completed his internal medicine residency at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center of New York Presbyterian Hospital. He is completing an MBA with concentrations in Health Care Management and Innovation and Public and Private Sector Leadership at the Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business.