Dr. The Lakelander: Tell us about your role. What led you to your work with Watson Clinic? Louis Saco: I am the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Watson Clinic. I also have an active practice as a gastroenterologist. I attended Georgetown University Medical School and Georgetown University’s Internal Medicine residency program. I completed training in gastroenterology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Division of Digestive Diseases, Chapel Hill. I specialize in gastroenterology, which is the treatment of intestinal diseases. I see patients at the Main Clinic location as well as Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center (LRH). I perform procedures such as colonoscopies at the Lakeland Surgical & Diagnostic Center and 60
THE LAKELANDER
at LRH. I also work to support and strengthen Watson Clinic’s involvement in the community. I serve as a member of the board of directors for VISTE (Volunteers in Service to the Elderly), chairman of the Watson Clinic Foundation, and as a trustee on the board of Florida Southern College. I serve as the team physician for the Detroit Tigers Florida operations and the Lakeland Flying Tigers. TL: Tell us the history of Watson Clinic. LS: The Watson Clinic was started in 1941 by Drs. Herman Watson, Samuel Edgar Watson, Jere Annis, Henry Fuller, and John Kibler. Watson Clinic started with a few offices in the Marble Arcade building in downtown Lakeland. Today we’ve expanded to 19
locations across Polk, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties. We have close to 300 physicians and providers recruited from the best medical schools and facilities around the world across more than 40 medical and surgical specialties. TL: What is Watson Clinic’s mission? LS: Our founders saw the tremendous medical advances that were taking place and being offered to patients in the largest metropolitan areas of the United States. They believed the people of Lakeland and surrounding communities deserved that same caliber of care, but delivered in a personable, compassionate manner that was reflective of their small-town values. That mission continues to motivate us and define who we are today. The
Watson Clinic mission is to provide comprehensive medical services of the highest quality, in the most safe and cost-effective manner, while constantly improving excellence in the best interest of patient care. Our brand of one-stop excellent healthcare is our passion. TL: What changes have you made during your tenure as CEO? LS: I became the CEO of Watson Clinic in January 2002. In 2003, we opened the Watson Clinic Cancer & Research Center. We are proud to be the only cancer center in the state of Florida to receive the 2016 “Outstanding Achievement Award” from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. We also received our threeyear “gold status” reaccreditation from the same organization. This