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Anthony L. Watson

Anthony L. Watson is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HIP Health Plans (EDP), one of the nation's largest health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in the northeast United States. Now in its 51st year, HIP celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1997 gaining year-long increased national attention as one of the nation's leading HMOs.

The anniversary year ended with President Clinton naming Mr. Watson to be a member of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. Earlier in 1997, there were these developments. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) granted HIP Health Plan of New York three-year Full Accreditation, granted to those plans that have excellent programs for continuous quality improvement and meet NCQA's rigorous standards. HIP was ranked number one in the New York metropolitan area by US. News & World Report in key categories of patient care, doctor training and member satisfaction. CareData Resources Inc.'s 1997 Survey of Medicare HMOs ranked HIP Health Plan of New York as number one. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York City honored Mr. Watson for HIP's leadership in starting a HIP program to identify and treat victims of domestic violence. In rounding out 1997, HIP joined with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to call for increased regulation of managed health care on the basis that all health plans should be subject to legally enforceable national standards.

A not-for-profit, prepaid group practice health plan, HIP provides comprehensive health care services to more than one million members in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland and Orange counties, New Jersey, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Mr. Watson, 56, widely recognized for his public contributions to the health care field, has led HIP since September 1991. Previously, starting in 1985, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for HIP.

Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where he attended local public schools, Mr. Watson entered the University of Oklahoma in 1959. He was named a member of the United States Olympic Track Team in 1960, competing in the long jump in Rome, Italy. He later transferred to Central State College in Edmond, Oklahoma, graduating with a B.A. in political science in 1966. Mr. Watson attended Columbia University's School of Public Health, Division of Health Administration. He holds Advanced Certificates from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, and Cornell University's Executive development program.

By the time he joined HIP in 1985, Mr. Watson had almost 20 years of experience in major public health agencies. From 1966 to 1970, he was Supervising Public Health Advisor at the Center for Disease Control in the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare. From 1970 to 1976, he was Deputy Director of the New York City Comprehensive Health Planning Agency and, from 1976 to 1985, its Executive Director. During two of those years, from 1972 to 1974, he was an instructor in health planning at the Herbert J. Lehman College of the City University of New York.

Mr. Watson has coauthored several academic publications, including: "Third Generation Community Boards in Comprehensive Health Planning; " and "the Development of Management Plan by a Department of Health: A Step on the Way to Management by Objectives"; and "Cost Containment from a Health Planning Perspective" for the New York Academy of Medicine.

In recognition of his nearly quarter century of leadership in health care, Mr. Watson is the recipient of several institutional honors, including: the Schlesinger Award for Outstanding Contributions to Community Health Planning; John Lawe Memorial Award; Leadership Award of the One Hundred Black Men, Inc.; Award of the Jewish National Fund; Congressional Recognition Award of the United States House of Representatives; and the New York Urban League Award. In addition, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the New York College of Podiatric Medicine and is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. Also, the Blanton-Peale Institute has given Mr. Watson the Norman Vincent Peale Award for Positive Thinking.

Listed in the Who's Who of Global Business Leaders, Mr. Watson is President of the HIP Foundation, which provides overall strategic direction for the entire HIP system. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors and C.E.O. for HIP Health Plan of New York, and serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of HIP Health Plan of New Jersey, HIP Health Plan of Florida, HIP Health Plan of Pennsylvania, HIP Health Plan of Florida and HIP's Centralized Laboratory Services.

His activities include membership on other boards of directors: He has been nominated by Governor George Pataki to be a member of the New York Hospital New York Review and Planning Council. In addition, he is a member of the Governor's Health Care Advisory Board; Economic Panel of New York Governor's Council on Fiscal and Economic Priorities; American Association of Health Plans; The Money Store; Brooklyn Borough President's Health Advisory Council; WNET, Channel 13; Herman Biggs Society; Manhattanville College; New York Business Group on Health; and the National Conference of Christians and Jews; the YMCA of Greater New York; and, The New York City Partnership.

Mr. Watson and his wife, the former Desiree Boling, live in New York City with their two daughters, Alayja, 7, and Sheridan, 5.

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