Jonathan Watkins is a proven health care leader with more than a decade of experience in the industry. As president of City of Hope® Cancer Center Atlanta, he provides thoughtful, strategic guidance and serves as a unifying spirit to ensure everyone at the Atlanta cancer center works in tandem to provide compassionate patient care while maintaining high-quality medical standards.
Prior to this role, Watkins served as chief executive officer at Broward Health Imperial Point, a 250-bed acute care facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Before that, he was chief operating officer at Kaiser Permanente in California’s Central Valley area, where he directed, facilitated and led operational programs and activities connected with the daily operations of three hospitals.
Previously, he served as vice president of clinical operations/chief operating officer of Methodist North Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. There, he developed, led and executed essential business strategies and directed the daily operations.
Watkins holds a master’s degree in public administration with a certification in health administration and a bachelor’s degree in health care administration and planning from Tennessee State University. He is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and Tennessee State University’s Beta Omicron Alumni Association. He is also a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and is board-certified in health care management as a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). Watkins is a past recipient of the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) Young Healthcare Executive of the Year Award and is a past president of the Memphis chapter of NAHSE. He received the ACHE Tennessee Regent’s Award and was honored by the South Florida Healthcare Executive Forum with an ACHE Service Award.
Watkins has been featured in Legacy Magazine’s Most Powerful & Influential Black Leaders in Business on several occasions and has been recognized by the Haitian Chamber of Commerce for his efforts in increasing diversity and inclusion in health care. He has also been recognized by Atlanta magazine as one of city’s 100 Most Powerful Leaders, and in Georgia Trend magazine’s Georgia 500, which spotlights the most powerful leaders across major industries and organizations in the state. In recognition of his professional achievements, he was recently selected for honorary membership in the Beta Gamma Sigma international business honor society.
Watkins is extremely active in his community. He serves on the board of directors for the Metro Atlanta and Newnan-Coweta chambers of commerce, Capella University’s School of Nursing advisory board, Tennessee State University’s Public Health, Health Administration & Health Sciences advisory board, and the Coweta County Boys & Girls Club board of directors.
