Dr. Rao has been a general surgeon with the hospital for 35 years. He will serve as both a surgeon and CMO before fully transitioning into the physician executive role next summer, a news release shared with Becker’s Sept. 7 said.
“We are very fortunate to add Dr. Rao to our leadership team,” hospital President Robert Ramey said. “Dr. Rao is an assertive strategic thinker with an established record of excellence. His experience with the medical staff and knowledge of the community will be invaluable to our growth initiatives as we begin our joint venture organization between Baptist Health and Deaconess.”
Dr. Rao replaced Wayne Lipson, MD, who served as CMO for four years.