Steve Davis, MD, MMM

Steve Davis, MD, MMM, is president and CEO of Cincinnati Children’s, a nonprofit, comprehensive pediatric health system. As the leader in improving child health, Cincinnati Children's pushes the boundaries of what's possible in research, clinical care, education and innovation, so that every child can live their best possible life. The organization is consistently named one of the top 3 pediatric hospitals in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll and is the #3 recipient of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health. Davis previously served six years as the health system’s chief operating officer.

Davis was the driving force behind the health system’s largest expansion ever: a $600 million Critical Care Building that opened in 2021 for patients with cancer, heart ailments and other complex conditions, which also features a state-of-the-art emergency department. In 2024, Davis announced plans for the Applied Gene and Cell Therapy Center, which will enable an increase in clinical trials of innovative drugs and biological therapeutics for patients with cancer, blood diseases or genetic disorders. The $60 million center will open in 2026.

Under Davis’ leadership, Cincinnati Children’s launched HealthVine, a network of pediatric care providers and organizations that coordinates care and support services for over 125,000 children and their families across Southwest Ohio. Cincinnati Children’s is also focused on bringing care closer to the homes of patients and families across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. In 2025, Cincinnati Children’s opened new medical buildings in Union, Kentucky, and the Eastgate area of Clermont County, Ohio.

Before joining Cincinnati Children’s, Davis served the Cleveland Clinic system from 1996 to 2015 in a variety of key positions, including chief operating officer of Hillcrest Hospital.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Davis earned a medical degree from the University of Vermont. He was a medical resident at Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital from 1989 to 1992 and chief resident from 1992 to 1993. Davis completed a fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

In 2012, Davis received a master’s degree in medical management from the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he serves on the faculty and teaches leadership development. He earned a master’s degree in strategic leadership from Michigan State University in 2020.

In addition to his responsibilities at Cincinnati Children’s, Davis serves as the board chair of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association and is a board member and past chair of the Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety—an international network of more than 150 pediatric hospitals whose mission is to eliminate serious harm across all children’s hospitals.