Scott Saffold is a board-certified otolaryngologist, founder, and medical director of Chesapeake Bay ENT, a leading ear, nose, and throat practice in Southeastern Virginia. Since 2001, he has guided the practice based in Belle Haven, transforming a single-site clinic in a medically underserved rural area into a multi-location organization renowned for delivering evidence-based and technologically advanced care with compassion. In May 2026, he will celebrate 25 years of service in the medical field in the state of Virginia.

His leadership focuses on patient-centered care and empowering his team. Dr Scott Saffold has built a culture of continuous improvement where innovation and data-driven decisions are encouraged. Staff members, ranging from front desk personnel to advanced practice providers, have grown professionally and contributed significantly under his guidance.

Instead of centralizing services in one large facility, he has developed smaller, community-based clinics tailored to the specific needs and character of the neighborhoods they serve. This approach has strengthened ties with referring physicians and created a more personal, accessible experience for patients.

Dr Saffold is committed to providing care to all patients, regardless of their insurance status or financial circumstances. His systems prioritize long-term outcomes and human-centered values over short-term efficiency. He hopes to be remembered as a leader who prioritized patient care and empowered others to reach their full potential.

Scott is recognized for pioneering the integration of advanced practice providers such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants into specialty care. By establishing clear training and supervision protocols, he expanded access while ensuring consistent quality and safety. He has also introduced AI-assisted medical documentation, in-office CT scanning, and advanced diagnostic procedures, such as in-office laryngeal biopsies, to enhance patient care.

Dr Scott Saffold serves on the board of a regional hospital system and has played a key role in partnerships that extend healthcare access in rural Virginia. Local media regularly seek his expertise on sinonasal disease and balloon sinus dilation. His scholarly work includes publications on selective neck dissection, dermal allografts in reconstructive surgery, and tumor immunology.

Since 2014, he has been the Medical Director of the Virginia Sinus Center in Virginia Beach. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology and a member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Scott earned a degree in Cell Biology from UC Berkeley in 1990. He graduated at the top of his class from Meharry Medical College, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. His postgraduate training included a General Surgery Internship at the University of New York at Buffalo, a research fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and an otolaryngology residency at Oregon Health Sciences University. His training covered specialties such as otology, pediatric otolaryngology, facial plastic surgery, endoscopic sinus surgery, and head and neck radiology. He chose general otolaryngology to provide broad care to his community.

Dr Saffold sponsors a scholarship at Meharry Medical College for underrepresented medical students and holds an MBA from Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business in Norfolk, Virginia.

His academic achievements include multiple awards in anatomy, pathology, internal medicine, and hematology, as well as membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society.

Outside his professional work, Scott Saffold is a devoted father to two children, a youth football coach, and an endurance athlete who has completed numerous marathons and triathlons, including two half-Ironman races. He also enjoys reading in his free time.