Chief Medical Officer, Kroger Health 

Dr. Marc Watkins, MSPH, FACOEM, is the chief medical officer of Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., which includes more than 2,200 pharmacies in 35 states and Washington, D.C. and more than 220 locations of The Little Clinic in nine states. Working with a cross-functional team of pharmacists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dietitians and technical care providers, he helps to develop the strategic direction and overall clinical program initiatives for our providers and delivers clinical guidance for associate benefit design. He also is responsible for regulatory and accreditation requirements, maintaining a comprehensive suite of high-quality care for patients. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, he also has advised the company on its response, including testing and vaccination efforts.  

Dr. Watkins joined Kroger in 2015 as vice president and medical director of The Little Clinic. In August 2018, he was promoted to chief medical officer of Kroger Health. Prior to joining Kroger, he spent six years with Concentra Health Services in various physician leadership roles, providing strategic, operational and clinical program development to major employers across the country. 

Dr. Watkins is a Fellow of both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. For five years, he served in the U.S. Navy as senior medical officer and twice received the Navy Commendation Medal.  

Dr. Watkins graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Holy Cross and received his M.D. and Master of Science in public health from Meharry Medical College, a historically black medical school.  

He splits his time between Nashville and Cincinnati and lives with his wife and two cats. He enjoys spending time with his six nephews, playing golf and traveling.