In the summer of 1941, a medical group led by Dr. Herman Watson and comprised of two surgeons, two internists, and a urologist officially became known as Watson Clinic. They were led by a mission of providing the very best health care to the people of Polk County and beyond.

 

From these humble beginnings, Watson Clinic has developed into one of the largest and most respected clinics in the Southeast. Their mission remains unchanged.

 

 

THE DAWNING OF A DREAM

The history of Watson Clinic begins with a group of esteemed physicians, known as our “Founding Fathers,” who dedicated their lives to the medical field. They named the company in honor of one of the physicians in their group -- Dr. Willis Herman Watson.

 

Dr. Watson was born on a farm in Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia School of Medicine in 1912. He continued with various postgraduate studies throughout the United States and stayed on in France for a year to further his studies after serving in World War I. Having already established his own practice in Lakeland before he left for the war in 1917, he returned to the area in 1920 and resumed his practice of general medicine with an emphasis on surgery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Herman Watson founded Watson Clinic in 1941 and retired in 1954.

 

 

 

 

 

 

His nephew, Dr. Samuel Edgar Watson, was also a graduate from the University of Georgia and completed his internship at Knoxville General Hospital. “Dr. Edgar” joined his uncle’s practice in 1935 followed in 1938 by Dr. Jere W. Annis, who had completed his fellowship in Internal Medicine at the Mayo Foundation in Rochester, Minnesota. Drs. Henry Fuller and John Kibler joined the practice three years later in 1941, at which time the physician group officially became known as Watson Clinic.

 

GROWTH AND PROGRESS

 

 

 

At the conclusion of the 1940’s, Watson Clinic decides to move their facility to the annex of the Thelma Hotel in downtown Lakeland.

 

 

 

 

Watson Clinic kept their offices rooted in the downtown Lakeland area for much of their early history, initially operating out of limited space in the Marble Arcade Building before moving across Kentucky Avenue into the annex of the Thelma Hotel. Robust growth eventually warranted the construction of a unique and expansive medical facility. On July 12, 1958, the Clinic transferred from its modest space on 122 South Kentucky Avenue to their new and elegantly constructed quarters at 1600 Lakeland Hills Boulevard, a location that still acts as their Main Clinic campus to this day.

 

 

 

 

An artist’s rendering of our Main Clinic at 1600 Lakeland Hills Boulevard upon its construction in 1958.

 

 

 

 

In response to the needs of our community and the ongoing progressive nature of the health care field, Watson Clinic continued to recruit physicians from the best medical schools in the world and expand their roster of specialties and locations.

 

Their work within the community soon reached far beyond Clinic walls, leading to the formation of The Watson Clinic Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Watson Clinic LLP, in 1960. The foundation continues its mission of building a healthier community to this day through educational outreach, tireless research and free screening programs.

 

The burgeoning reputation and scope of the Clinic operations set the community standard for excellence in healthcare. In 1969, Watson Clinic became the first clinic in the United States to be accredited by the American Association of Medical Clinics (AAMC). In 2005, they received a prestigious three-year accreditation from the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care, a feat they repeated in 2008. Their orthopaedic department is one of the most renowned in the area, treating a number of top shelf community sports teams, including the Detroit and Lakeland Flying Tigers baseball organization.

 

LOCATIONS

Watson Clinic now touches every corner of the community with 13 additional regional sites, including family practice locations in Bartow and Plant City and dermatology offices in Sun City Center and Zephyrhills. Other medical offices include Lakeland Highlands, the Center for Rehabilitative Medicine, Kidney Center, Behavioral Health Division at Edgewood, South Lakeland, and North Pediatrics.  

The Center for Cancer Care & Research, located at 1730 Lakeland Hills Boulevard, opened in 2003.

 

 

 

 

The Center for Cancer Care & Research, opened in 2003, is a collaborative venture with Clark and Daughtrey Medical Group and the area’s finest independent physicians. The Center, which is affiliated with the nationally recognized H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, specializes in the prompt detection, diagnosis, and supportive follow up care of patients with cancer and hematological disorders, and provides comprehensive access to a multitude of cancer services including the latest treatment options and clinical research trials. In 2008, the Center became only one of two freestanding cancer centers in the country to receive a three-year accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. A second site is located in Bartow.

 

Watson Clinic’s Women’s Center offers expert women’s breast services, including the latest in digital mammography and breast surgery technologies.

 

 

 

The Watson Clinic Women’s Center, located on the corner of Parkview and Lakeland Hills Boulevard, opened in September 2006. The Women’s Center offers superior digital mammography, breast surgery and plastic surgery services, and the most comprehensive and compassionate women’s care in the area.

 



An artist’s rendering of Watson Clinic’s Bella Vista Building, which opened in February of 2009.

 

 

 

 

In February 2009, Watson Clinic unveiled the Bella Vista Building, a three-story, 51,000 square foot medical office building offering otolaryngology and dermatology services, as well as a hearing center, speech and pathology lab, and a private medical spa.

 

A LEGACY OF CARING

Watson Clinic’s commitment to the community has remained constant since their humble beginnings in 1941. As medical advancements have developed new and exciting possibilities, Watson Clinic has led the way by continuing to offer the latest innovations in technology and research.

Watson Clinic provides unparalleled excellence in health care for every generation.

 

 

 

 

With more than 1500 employees, 200 physicians, 40 specialties and 14 state-of-the-art locations serving well over 800,000 outpatient visits per year, Watson Clinic remains well equipped to treat any ailment you are likely to experience in your lifetime. Their reputation remains far-reaching and nationally respected.