Anne Marie Watkins is one of Modern Healthcare’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
Chief nursing executive has led transformational change at one of California’s largest academic health systems
Orange, Calif. — UCI Health Chief Nursing Executive and Senior Vice President Anne Marie Watkins, DNP, has been named one of Modern Healthcare’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives for 2025.
Chosen by the publication's senior editors, the program recognizes licensed clinicians in executive roles for their exceptional achievements in driving innovation, improving outcomes, serving their communities and demonstrating exemplary leadership both within and beyond their organizations.
Watkins joined UCI Health in 2023. She also serves as assistant dean of nursing education for the UC Irvine Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing.
She is a mission-driven, visionary leader who has led transformational change as chief nursing executive at UCI Health, demonstrating bold leadership, measurable clinical impact and strategic influence across a rapidly growing health system. Her work has not only elevated the nursing profession internally but has extended to integrating newly acquired community hospitals into a unified culture of excellence.
Among her numerous achievements:
- All five ICUs at UCI Health ― Orange, formerly known as UCI Medical Center, have achieved prestigious Beacon recognition from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
- Leading year-over-year improvements in key clinical operations, including discharges
- Championing a mentorship program for new graduate nurses to support growth and retention
- Increasing workforce engagement
“Becoming a clinician doesn’t automatically prepare one for a leadership role, helping to guide an organization or an industry. The 50 clinicians chosen this year as the most influential, some newcomers and some we have recognized previously, are having an oversized impact,” said Mary Ellen Podmolik, editor-in-chief of Modern Healthcare.
“Their work is benefiting their own teams in terms of clinical advancements and financial results and is leading to better patient outcomes.”
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,317-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Medical Center, its flagship hospital in Orange, Calif., the UCI Health — Irvine medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves nearly 5.7 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).