About Cincinnati Children's
Awards and Recognition

A Leader in Improving Child Health

As a leader in improving child health, research and education, Cincinnati Children’s is consistently ranked as one of the best children's hospitals.

#1 in the Nation

Cincinnati Children’s is ranked #1 in the nation in the 2023-24 list of Best Children’s Hospitals published by U.S. News & World Report.

The Best Children’s Hospitals list also includes national rankings across 10 pediatric specialties. Cincinnati Children’s has been named in the top 10 of each of these specialty areas, including being ranked #1 in four areas: cancer care, diabetes & endocrinology, neonatology, and urology. Cincinnati Children’s has been at the forefront of discovering new treatments that allow us to better care for our patients. Learn more about our rankings.


Second Among All Children's Hospitals for National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) places us at No. 2 among all children's hospitals and medical school pediatric departments for research funding. We also placed second for total NIH fellowship awards to children's hospitals and third for total NIH training awards.


A Magnet for Nursing

In 2023, Cincinnati Children’s earned Magnet® designation for a fourth consecutive time from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Only 10% of all United States hospitals are recognized with this achievement, and currently just 38 of them are pediatric facilities.

Magnet logo.

This is the second time Patient Services Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Barb Tofani, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, has overseen a Magnet application cycle. She received the phone call from the Commission for the Magnet Recognition Program® alongside Patient Services vice presidents, assistant vice presidents and leaders of the Center for Professional Excellence. “This is such an exciting time for Cincinnati Children’s, and the recognition goes to everyone at Cincinnati Children’s, because it takes all of us giving our best every day to our patients and families,” Tofani said.

This news arrived on the heels of our #1 ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll for 2023-24 and being named one of America’s Greatest Workplaces in 2023 by Newsweek magazine.


One of the Best Employers for Women

Cincinnati Children’s has again been named one of America’s Best Employers for Women by Forbes, and once more ranks among the Top 10 health systems in the nation.

Of the 400 companies recognized by Forbes for 2023, Cincinnati Children’s ranked No. 42 among Best Employers for Women – the highest of any health system in Ohio and among the Top 10 in the United States. Cincinnati Children’s has made the list every year since Forbes began the recognition in 2018.


A Great Place to Work

A Great Place to Work certified badge.

A great place to work is one where employees are proud of the work they do, enjoy the people they work with and trust the people they work for. The Great Place To Work Institute analyzes employee responses to 60 Trust Index survey questions, and our responses were favorable, earning us a place on their list of companies with strong organizational culture.


Top Hospitals and Health Systems for Diversity Ranking from DiversityInc.

A Top Hospital and Health System for Diversity

Cincinnati Children’s has been named one of the nation’s Top Hospitals and Health Systems for Diversity by a company that evaluates organizations that champion inclusion and diversity in workplace practices, leadership accountability, and suppliers. 

Of the 20 hospitals and health systems recognized by DiversityInc for 2023, Cincinnati Children’s ranked No. 17 – the only pediatric health system to make the list.


Best Employer for New Grads

Of the 300 companies recognized by Forbes for 2023, Cincinnati Children’s ranked No. 34 among the Best Employers for New Grads – the highest of any health system in Ohio and among the Top 10 in the United States. This is the fourth year Cincinnati Children’s has made the list since Forbes began the recognition in 2018.

Forbes compiled the ranking based on a survey of young professionals at companies with at least 1,000 employees. The recent graduates indicated the likelihood they would recommend their employer to family and friends, and they evaluated their company in areas such as reputation, salary and benefits, education and career advancement opportunities, working hours and atmosphere, quality of work, DEI initiatives, and whether good performance is recognized. Those surveyed also were asked to evaluate other employers in their industry.


Forbes 2023 America's Best Large Employers logo

Best Large Employer

Cincinnati Children's is No. 10 on Forbes annual list of Best Large Employers for 2023.

We are third among hospitals and first among pediatric hospitals.

To compile the list, Forbes partnered with the market research firm Statista, which surveyed about 45,000 workers at American companies and institutions with more than 5,000 employees. Participants were asked if they would recommend their current employers to friends and family (on a scale of 0 to 10), and to cite any other employer they would also recommend. The final list ranks the 500 companies that received the most recommendations.


Best Employer for Diversity

Cincinnati Children’s is dedicated to ensuring that all patients, families and visitors – as well as all of our more than 17,800 employees – feel welcome, safe, valued, and respected. Of the 500 companies recognized by Forbes for 2023, Cincinnati Children’s ranked No. 38 among the Best Employers for Diversity.


Best Medical Schools

U.S. News & World Report ranked the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine as the second best pediatric program at a medical school in the United States, tying with Harvard Medical School. The UC Department of Pediatrics is comprised entirely of faculty members from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

The second-place ranking, based on a survey of medical school deans and senior faculty, is in the 2022 edition of the U.S. News & World Report guide to America’s best medical schools. Within the past decade, the pediatrics program has consistently been ranked among the top five in the nation, but this is the first time ever that the pediatrics program has attained the No. 2 spot.


Top Performer for LGBTQ+ Healthcare EqualityTop Performer for LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality.

For the ninth time, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has named Cincinnati Children's a top performer in its 2022 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI).

The HEI is the national LGBTQ benchmarking tool that evaluates healthcare facilities’ policies and practices related to the equity and inclusion of their LGBTQ patients, families, visitors, and employees.

"We are dedicated to ensuring every employee, patient, family and visitor feels welcome and safe at Cincinnati Children's, and we are proud to extend that foundational commitment to members of the LGBTQ community," said Bobby Rodriguez, Vice President, Diversity, Inclusion & Community Relations. "It’s an honor and a reflection of our core values to be included in the Healthcare Equality Index."


Best Employers for Women

Cincinnati Children's is ranked No. 25 on Forbes 2021 list of Best Employers for Women. We are fourth among healthcare employers and first among children’s hospitals.


America's Best Employers for Diversity

Cincinnati Children’s is ranked No. 15 on Forbes 2021 list of America's Best Employers for Diversity.


A Global Leader in Pediatrics

Cincinnati Children’s has been ranked by Newsweek as among the “World’s Best Hospitals 2021.” With its focus on pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s was categorized as among the Top Specialized Hospitals. Pediatric hospitals were selected based on recommendations from medical experts such as doctors, hospitals managers, and health care professionals.


A Best Place to Work

  • Cincinnati Children's ranked among the Top 100 "Best Places to Work 2022" for Large Companies in the United States on Glassdoor - one of only two pediatric hospitals to make the list.

  • The Human Rights Campaign has named Cincinnati Children's a 2022 Healthcare Equality Leader in recognition of our care for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) patients, families and employees. See "Top Performer for LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality" above.

  • Cincinnati Children’s ranked No. 38 in the nation in Forbes magazine’s 2021 list of “America's best large employers.” For its list, Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to survey Americans working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees. Learn more about the list.

  • Cincinnati Children’s ranked No. 18 in Forbes’ first-ever list of best employers for women in the United States for 2018. The magazine surveyed 40,000 Americans about issues such as working conditions, diversity, pay equity, opportunities for advancement and family leave. Learn more about the survey.
  • Cincinnati Children’s was inducted in to the Cincinnati Business Courier’s “Best Places to Work Hall of Fame” in 2008.