Victoria W. Bayless is the chief executive officer of Luminis Health, a regional health system headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. With 770 beds across five hospitals and subacute facilities, 80+ sites of care and 9,600 team members, Luminis Health serves a region of 1.5 million people. Luminis Health generates $1.2 billion in operating revenue and contributes $80 million in community benefit.
Bayless previously served as the president and chief executive officer of Anne Arundel Health System (Luminis Health’s predecessor organization) which she joined in 2005 and advanced to president and chief executive officer in 2011. With almost 30 years of experience in management and leadership roles, Bayless has demonstrated proficiency and expertise in strategic planning, health system operations, governance, leadership development, community health and outreach, medical staff relations, physician practice management and business development.
The principal architect of Vision 2030 – Living Healthier Together, Bayless is focused on the system’s overall quality performance, workforce development, growth and financial strength – while improving access, advancing health equity and meeting community needs. During her tenure, the organization has achieved several milestones and accolades including: Magnet designations, multiple Leapfrog “A” safety grades, numerous Most Wired awards, CMS 5 Star hospital, a U.S. News & World Report top Maryland hospital and an exemplar hospital by the Institute for Patient and Family Centered Care. The American Hospital Association has recognized Luminis Health with two NOVA awards for innovation in community partnerships. The organization has been a Quest for Quality finalist and received the Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award for excellence in improving health equity and reducing disparities.
Bayless received a 2018 AHA/MHA Grass Roots Champion award and was recently named to CEO Connection’s 2021 “Most Influential Women of the Mid Market” – recognizing CEOs across industries who are leading companies with revenues of $100 million to $3 billion. In 2015 and 2017, she was named to the list of “Influential Marylanders” by The Daily Record. In 2016, Health Data Management named Bayless to their “Most Powerful Women in IT” roster and Bayless was named the “Business Leader of the Year” by the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce. Bayless was recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of 12 national healthcare leaders in the publication’s 2007 “Up and Comers” report. Also in 2007, the Baltimore Business Journal recognized her as one of “40 under 40” business leaders in the region.
Bayless is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves or has served on other boards including the United Way of Central Maryland, the Johns Hopkins Home Care Group, the Maryland Hospital Association, the American Hospital Association Region 3 Policy Board and the CareFirst/Blue Cross Blue Shield Board. In 2016, Governor Larry Hogan appointed Bayless to serve on the state’s Health Services Cost Review Commission. Bayless was appointed to the board of The Joint Commission (TJC) in 2020 and serves on various TJC committees.
Prior to joining the Association of American Medical Colleges, Bayless was vice president of clinical services at Washington Hospital Center/MedStar Health and held various positions there from 1993 to 2005. She received her Bachelor of Science from Tufts University and her Master of Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She also holds a certificate in executive leadership from the Georgetown University Center for Professional Development. Bayless has been an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, a global network of 24,000 young CEOs in more than 130 countries.
Bayless and her husband, Mike, live in Arnold, Maryland. They have two children, Connor and Caroline.