William Watson
I'm a health services researcher finishing my PhD in Health Systems & Services Research at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. My research focuses on how insurance design, provider regulation, and geographic factors shape access to care — questions I approach with causal inference methods, large-scale administrative claims analysis, and GIS-based spatial analytics.
What sets my work apart is five years of experience inside a major health insurer. I worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas across product modernization, data strategy, and senior data analysis, advising leadership on statistical analysis and healthcare trends for an organization serving over one million members. Additionally, I have a deep understanding of payer operations from my experience developing new health insurance products. That experience taught me which research questions actually matter to payers and policymakers, and how to present evidence in ways that inform real decisions.
Professional Experience
PhD Candidate & Instructor
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences • 2022 – Present
Dissertation research on insulin affordability policy, APRN scope of practice, and geographic epidemiology of diabetic foot ulcers. Teaching graduate-level courses on healthcare systems and health policy. Graduate assistant conducting research on costs of housing unhoused patients and social determinants of health using Epic Cosmos.
Teaching & Research Assistant
University of Texas Southwestern • 2022 – Present
Supporting research in medical geography — statistical programming (Python, R), geospatial analysis, and guest lectures on spatial methods. Providing technical mentorship to graduate students on GIS, statistical programming, and research design. Contributing spatial and statistical analyses for peer-reviewed publications.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas
Multiple Roles • 2020 – 2025
Progressed through three roles: Product Modernization Consultant (2020–2023), Data Strategy Internal Consultant (2023–2024), and Senior Data Analyst (2024–2025). Led analytical projects evaluating new products and lines of business, designed difference-in-differences analyses on datasets exceeding 1M+ member records, and played a lead role in launching a new clinical product (Celeste) and a new insurance line of business (Level Funding). Collaborated cross-functionally with actuaries, clinical staff, BI, underwriting, legal, marketing, benefits configuration, compliance, and leadership teams.
Medical Scribe
Arkansas Surgical Hospital • 2019
Clinical data entry from physician notes using EHR systems. Gained hands-on understanding of how data quality at point of care impacts downstream analytics.
Earlier Research Positions
2011 – 2014
Research Assistant at the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (2012–2014) and UAMS Department of Health Policy and Management (2011–2012).
Education
PhD, Health Systems & Services Research
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences • Expected Fall 2026
Graduate Certificate in Implementation Science
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences • 2023
MS, Healthcare Data Analytics
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences • 2021
Master of Health Services Administration
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences • 2012
BA, History
Christian Brothers University • 2008
Research Approach
My work sits at the intersection of health policy, applied causal inference, and spatial analysis. I use methods like difference-in-differences, synthetic controls, and multi-level modeling to estimate the causal effects of policy changes, drawing on large-scale administrative claims databases including IQVIA Pharmetrics Plus, HCUP datasets, and electronic health records — Epic Cosmos. I complement this with GIS-based spatial methods — emerging hotspot analysis and explanatory modeling — to understand how geography and place affect health services access and outcomes.
I work primarily in R, Python, and SAS, with experience in machine learning (stacked ensemble methods, deep learning for prediction), high-performance computing, and data visualization. I believe that good research isn't just methodologically sound — it needs to be communicated clearly enough that the people who can act on it actually understand it.
Beyond the Research
When I'm not buried in claims data or teaching, you can usually find me at the gym or out on a run. I'm an avid reader, a competitive bowler, and a proud Chihuahua owner. Most weekends I'm spending time with my nieces — they keep things in perspective better than any policy brief ever could.