Kaiser Permanente has named Wendy Watson its chief operating officer for Kaiser Permanente Northwest.
Watson joined Kaiser in 1993. Before being named interim COO in December, Watson was the vice president for Ambulatory Care & Clinical Support Services. A Kaiser press release said Watson has held various positions during her career with Kaiser.
“We are redesigning Kaiser Permanente operations,” Watson said in a prepared statement. “We are moving deeper into whole-person care, fully integrating behavioral health, connecting with community partners to more effectively coordinate care, and removing barriers to an easy and convenient care experience.”
As COO, Watson will lead clinical operations of 36 medical offices, 20 dental offices and two hospitals. According to the press release, Kaiser Permanente Northwest has 626,167 medical members, 291,512 dental members, more than $4.3 billion annual revenue and more than 12,100 employees.
Watson has a master’s degree in public health from Portland State University. She completed an advanced fellowship with the Health Care Advisory Board in Washington, D.C., and is a Malcolm Baldrige executive fellow.
“Wendy is a respected, inclusive and engaged leader,” Ruth Williams-Brinkley, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals of the Northwest president said in a prepared statement.
