Steve Davis, MD, MMM

Steve Davis, MD, MMM, is president and CEO of Cincinnati Children’s, a nonprofit, comprehensive pediatric health system. As a leader in research, education, patient care, advocacy and innovation, Cincinnati Children’s is ranked #1 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-2024 list of best children’s hospitals in the nation and is the #2 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.

Under Davis’ leadership, Cincinnati Children’s launched HealthVine, a network of pediatric care providers and organizations that coordinates care and support services for about 120,000 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. That includes the 2022 addition of specialty clinics at a primary care location in Batesville, Indiana, and the 2023 opening of a specialty care medical building in Centerville, 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 vice chair of the Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety—an international network of more than 140 pediatric hospitals whose mission is to eliminate serious harm across all children’s hospitals.