We’re excited to announce that Wendy Watson will lead Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals of the Northwest as the new regional president. In her new role, Watson will lead the organization’s focus on providing integrated, high-quality health care and coverage for more than 612,000 members and dental care and coverage for more than 285,000 members in Oregon and southwest Washington.
Watson is a 32-year veteran of Kaiser Permanente of the Northwest, serving the region most recently as chief operating officer. She joined Kaiser Permanente in 1993 and has held a variety of leadership roles across the spectrum of operations, care delivery, and hospital administration, including vice president, Ambulatory Care and Clinical Services; senior director, Primary Care and Behavioral Health; senior director, Resource Stewardship; and Hospital Planning director.
Watson holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and a master’s degree in public health from Portland State University. She also completed an advanced fellowship with the Health Care Advisory Board in Washington, D.C., and an executive fellowship with the Baldrige Foundation.
She is a member of the board of directors for the Hospital Association of Oregon. Watson was named Executive of the Year by the Portland Business Journal in 2022 and has been honored with the Patriot Award by the U.S. Army for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
