Cincinnati Children’s named one of nation’s  Top Hospitals and Health Systems for Diversity

Wednesday, May 03, 2023

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.

“Cincinnati Children’s is committed to DEI for the long term because it makes a difference – for our more than 17,800 employees, for the people who want to work for us, and for the community,” said Bobby Rodriguez, vice president for Diversity, Inclusion & Community Relations. “Most importantly, it makes a difference in our research and in our care for patients and families who come to us every day from around the world.”

Cincinnati Children’s is the second-largest pediatric health system in the United States, and each year the medical center cares for patients and families from all 50 states and dozens of other countries – including children with complex or rare disorders.

One out of four physicians – and 23% of all employees at Cincinnati Children’s – are people of color, Rodriguez noted. The Executive Team’s diversity includes 27% people of color.

Other key accomplishments in diversity at Cincinnati Children’s include:

• Women constitute 79% of all employees, including more than half of physicians.
• Nearly half of executive and senior managers are women, along with 73% of first or mid-level managers.
• Half of the members of the Board of Trustees are women, including chair Liza Smitherman.

With regard to supplier diversity, Cincinnati Children’s documented $76 million in diverse spend in Fiscal Year 2022. That included over $29 million that went to minority-owned businesses, more than $22 million to women-owned businesses, and over $4 million to veteran-owned businesses.

DiversityInc’s rankings are based on employer-submitted data about organizational policies, practices, and procedures.

“The recognition from DiversityInc is especially important as it reflects an external review of our actions across many aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Nerissa Morris, senior vice president and chief human resources and diversity officer for Cincinnati Children’s. “Our participation in the application was also an opportunity for introspection and learning, as we continuously strive to be better and to have greater impact. We are honored to have been recognized, and we will use this as motivation to continue elevating our impact.”

Cincinnati Children’s was also recognized in April 2023 by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity, ranking No. 38 out of 500 companies cited – the highest of any hospital in the nation.