Steve Davis, MD, MMM

Steve Davis, MD, MMM, MS, is president and CEO of Cincinnati Children’s. 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 has been named one of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll for twenty consecutive years and is consistently one of the top three recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health.

A servant leader committed to being “the best at getting better,” Davis led the largest expansion in the health system’s history: 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 2026, he oversaw the opening of the Applied Gene and Cell Therapy Center, which expands clinical trials of new therapies for cancer, blood diseases and genetic disorders, and the Winslow Research Pavilion, where scientists and clinicians work side by side to accelerate bringing new discoveries to patients.

Davis' vision extends well beyond the hospital's walls. In the region, Cincinnati Children's launched HealthVine, a network of pediatric providers and organizations that coordinates care and support services for more than 110,000 children and families across Southwest Ohio. Nationally and globally, the health system is bringing world-class care closer to home through new facilities in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, and through new and expanded collaborations with providers in Indiana, Washington State and the United Arab Emirates, among others.

Davis believes technology should strengthen, not replace, the human connection at the heart of care. He is a driving force behind the responsible use of artificial intelligence at Cincinnati Children’s, where multiple AI tools have been implemented and are already helping improve outcomes for kids and families. Every employee has been trained in “AI 101,” ensuring that all team members have a voice and a role in using technology to serve others in new ways. That investment in people shows: the organization’s turnover rate is 12%, well below the healthcare benchmark.

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. He is also on the board of the United Way Greater Cincinnati and is a prior campaign co-chair.