Michael Fisher became president and CEO of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in January 2010.  

Fisher and his leadership team are expanding the impact of Cincinnati Children’s patient care, education and research activities. Last year, Cincinnati Children’s had nearly 1.2 million patient encounters, serving children from its primary service area of Southwest Ohio, all of the other 49 states and 53 countries.  

In the Greater Cincinnati community, Fisher is deeply committed to addressing pediatric health issues.   A top priority is assuring access to quality care for children insured through Medicaid by launching the Cincinnati Children’s Health Network, which provides a medical home and improved healthcare for thousands of children.    

The medical center also launched initiatives to reduce prematurity and infant mortality, including education / intervention efforts in high-risk neighborhoods and by leading a statewide research collaborative funded by the March of Dimes.  Last year, the medical center provided more than $500 million in community benefit including charitable patient care, subsidized health services and community outreach. 

In the industry, Fisher is increasingly seen as a leader and spokesperson for organizations of children’s hospitals. He chairs the Children’s Hospital’s Solutions for Patient Safety − a national network of more than 80 children’s hospitals. He is the 2014 board chair for the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association and serves on the national Children’s Hospital Association’s Medicaid Reform CEO Steering Committee and the Public Policy Committee. 

Fisher’s deep business and leadership experience has had a significant impact on the hospital’s operations and growth:

  • He has championed improved access and experiences for patients and families through significant upgrades to and expansions of the medical center’s operations, including a new urgent care center at the main campus to reduce unnecessary ED visits; a new 80,000-square-foot outpatient and urgent care facility to serve families on the west side of Cincinnati; and the start of construction on two projects: a proton therapy center to treat pediatric cancer patients and a major expansion to our pediatric mental health facilities.  Also, on schedule, is the construction of a 15-story tower to expand space for patient-oriented research with completion expected in the second half of 2015.
  • He has put a strong emphasis on employee programs in leadership development, diversity, and health / wellness for the more than 14,000 employees who come from more than 90 countries.
  • He led efforts to increase efficiency and drive out waste by generating more than $50 million in cost savings over the last couple of years. These efforts allowed the hospital to reduce prices on more than 250 common medical procedures and provided more resources to invest in its mission, for example, recruiting top talent, research / innovation, and important upgrades to equipment and facilities.
  • He has strongly supported new national and international collaborations and affiliations, including agreements with Chongqing Children’s Hospital and Zhejiang University Children’s Hospital in China;  a research partnership with Ben-Gurion University in Israel; and Niswonger Children’s Hospital in Tennessee.
  • He has transformed and extended the appeal of Cincinnati Children’s as a charity of choice, resulting in more seven-figure commitments, and the first eight-figure gift in the history of the medical center.  He helped establish a 30-member, volunteer fundraising board, and an employee giving campaign. Fundraising momentum continues to build as Cincinnati Children's prepares to embark on a comprehensive campaign set to launch in late 2014. 

Prior to his appointment at Cincinnati Children’s, Fisher was president and CEO of Premier Manufacturing Support Services, president and CEO of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, and for five years served on the board of trustees of Cincinnati Children’s. He began his career as an associate director of athletics at Northwestern University. He is a graduate of Stanford University.  Over the years, Fisher has provided board and philanthropic leadership to a range of not-for-profit and civic causes.  He and his wife, Suzette, have four children.