Anne Marie Watkins is a CNO to Know
Becker's selects dynamic leader, who oversees patient care, nursing practice at growing academic health system
Orange, Calif. — Anne Marie Watkins, DNP, chief nursing executive and senior vice president at UCI Health, has once again been named in the Becker’s Hospital Review CNOs to Know list for her leadership overseeing patient care and nursing practice at the academic health system’s six hospitals and multiple outpatient locations.
“During 2024–25, she led the integration of four newly acquired community hospitals and consolidated operations under a single hospital license to streamline regulatory compliance. Under her leadership, RN turnover at the Orange campus declined from 15.4% to 9.1%, and multiple high-potential leaders were promoted into director roles,” the publication writes.
“Watkins has also advanced patient experience, driving gains in documentation compliance and physician–nurse communication scores.”
Her leadership was instrumental in the opening of the UCI Health ― Irvine acute care hospital and medical campus, which includes the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care, the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building. The UCI Health — Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital, a two-story, 52-bed facility, will also open its doors this summer.
Watkins also serves as assistant dean of nursing education at the UC Irvine Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing. She is a member of the Hospital Quality Institute and the Association of California Nurse Leaders' Health Policy Committee. An accomplished educator, she serves as adjunct faculty at several universities and is a published author in the field of nursing administration.
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,461-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Health — Orange, its flagship hospital, the UCI Health — Irvine acute care hospital and 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 Health — Orange 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 5.6 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).