MEDIA RELEASE 
Release Date: Monday, 07/21/25 
Contact: mediarelations@howard.edu  

Lydia Sermons or Carol Wilkerson (Phone: 202-288-7071) 

WASHINGTON — Howard University today announced that Kerry Watson, a seasoned hospital executive with more than 25 years of experience guiding large, mission-driven health-care systems, will become interim chief executive officer of Howard University Hospital Corp. (HUHC) effective August 1, 2025. HUHC, a wholly controlled subsidiary of Howard University, manages the operations and strategic direction of Howard University Hospital.  

“We are excited to welcome Kerry Watson back to the Mecca as CEO of HUHC,” said Ben Vinson III, Ph.D., Howard University president “I am confident that he will help drive strategies to continue building upon the hospital’s legacy of delivering excellent care to our community and leadership in education and research. His expertise will help usher in a new era of excellence in patient care, medical education, and community impact for Howard University and the District of Columbia community.” 

Watson’s extensive experience with nationally respected institutions includes serving as interim CEO of UF Health St. Johns in Florida, CEO of Maui Health System, president of Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center, CEO of Memorial University Medical Center in Savanah Ga., and hospital president and system COO at Centra Health System in Lynchburg, VA and Arnot Ogden Medical System in Elmira, NY.  Additionally, he has held executive leadership positions at Duke University Health System as senior associate chief operating officer at Duke University Medical Center and CEO and president of Duke Regional Hospital. A certified diversity trainer and trusted mentor, he is known for elevating trauma and specialty service lines, enhancing patient experience, and cultivating inclusive, high-performing cultures.   

This marks a return for Mr. Watson to the D.C. area and Howard University Hospital (HUH), where he served as an administrator from 1982-1992. In this role, he  provided administrative management for the Department of Radiology, including its services of diagnostic radiology, CT, ultrasound, angiography, MRI and nuclear medicine. His early career history also includes leadership roles at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD. A graduate of  George Washington University and the University of Phoenix, Mr. Watson earned a bachelor’s degree in radiological science and master’s degree in organizational management.   

Watson will collaborate with Howard University Hospital president Roger A. Mitchell Jr., M.D., to help drive strategies which continue to enhance the hospital’s effectiveness. Together, they will champion quality-improvement initiatives, deepen community partnerships, and align hospital operations to usher in the next era of excellence in patient care, medical education, and community impact for Howard University and the District of Columbia community. 

“I am very excited and privileged to be back at Howard University Hospital,” said Mr. Watson. “I look forward to partnering and working with President Vinson, the hospital board, Dean Andrea Hayes Dixon, Dr. Mitchell, and the entire hospital team as we continue to support the vital needs of the patients and the communities we serve.” 

Established in 2023, HUHC transitioned HUH into a separate, controlled subsidiary to enhance the hospital’s financial agility, an initiative undertaken with full regulatory review and approval from DC Health. Watson’s appointment is the next strategic step toward strengthening clinical excellence and long-term sustainability.  

Watson succeeds Dr. Hugh Mighty, who led HUHC from its inception and served as the University’s senior vice president of health affairs, among other roles. Dr. Mighty will transition to a faculty position at the University’s College of Medicine. College of Medicine Dean Andrea Hayes Dixon, MD, FACS, will assume the role as vice president of health affairs.  

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About Howard University Hospital Corp. 

Howard University Hospital Corp., a wholly controlled subsidiary of Howard University, manages the operations and strategic direction of Howard University Hospital, one of the nation’s few fully accredited academic hospitals on an HBCU campus and a critical safety-net provider for Washington, D.C.  

About Howard University 

Howard University, established in 1867, is a leading private research university based in Washington, D.C. Howard’s 14 schools and colleges offer 140 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs and lead the nation in awarding doctoral degrees to African American students. The top-ranked historically Black college or university according to Forbes, Howard is the only HBCU ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s Top 100 National Universities and the only HBCU classified as an R1 research institution, indicating the highest level of research spending and doctoral production. Renowned for its esteemed faculty, high achieving students, and commitment to excellence, leadership, truth and service, Howard has produced distinguished alumni across all sectors, including the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice and the first woman U.S. vice president; Schwarzman, Marshall, Rhodes, and Truman Scholars; prestigious fellows; and over 165 Fulbright recipients. Learn more at www.howard.edu.