Rayford Kruger, MD, FACS

Former President & Chief Executive Officer
Southcoast Health System, Inc.

Rayford Kruger, MD, FACS, is the former president and chief executive officer of Southcoast Health System. Appointed as president & chief executive officer in early 2022, Dr. Kruger is an accomplished leader with more than three decades of frontline healthcare experience and a proven commitment to the South Coast community. As of January 2024, Dr. Kruger has retired after an admirable 33-year career at Southcoast Health serving our patients and community.

Prior to becoming the president and CEO, Dr. Kruger served as the Chief Physician Executive and Physician in Chief of Surgical Services, roles he began in 2021 and 2018 respectively. He previously served as the Medical Director of the Southcoast Health Weight Loss Center for over 16 years, from 2004 – 2021, and practiced general surgery at Tobey Hospital since joining the system in 1990

Dr. Kruger is board certified in general surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He specializes in general, bariatric, and minimally invasive surgery, including anti-reflux surgery.

A graduate of Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire, Dr. Kruger completed his internship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He completed his residency training at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, New Hampshire.