UH Rainbow & Nationwide Children's Hospital Announce Expanded Collaborative to Improve Patient Care, Strengthen Capacity and Increase Access

CLEVELAND - University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital and Nationwide Children's Hospital have announced an expanded collaborative that will improve care for their patients, strengthen capacity and increase access to care in Northeast Ohio.

The move will build on a decade-long affiliation that began with the Congenital Heart Collaborative.

“Pediatric medicine in Northeast Ohio is in a period of transition and transformation,” said UH CEO Cliff Megerian, MD, the Jane and Henry Meyer Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair. “Our combined collective strength will bring the highest level of care to the children and their families across the region.”

“Nationwide Children’s Hospital is pleased to expand our long-standing affiliation with University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children to enhance access to outstanding pediatric care close to home for children and families in Northeast Ohio,” said Tim Robinson, CEO of Nationwide Children’s. "We are looking forward to collaborating to recruit even more pediatric specialists to the region and to develop services that meet the unique needs of patients and families in the region."

“Nationwide Children’s has a deep commitment to helping patients achieve best outcomes. This expanded affiliation provides even more opportunity to achieve that goal.”

UH Rainbow and Nationwide Children’s have committed to expand a long-standing pediatric collaborative. Marissa Kiefer, MHSA, will continue as the President of UH Rainbow and UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital and will oversee day-to-day operation of the collaborative. Kiefer also holds the Patti DePompei, RN, MSN, Distinguished Chair in Women’s and Children’s Healthcare Leadership.

UH Rainbow and Nationwide Children’s first collaborated in 2015, with the Congenital Heart Collaborative. This unique collaboration provides families with access to one of the most experienced and comprehensive heart teams, supporting them from before birth through adulthood.

“By uniting two storied pediatric institutions with complementary strengths, capabilities, and cultures, we have the opportunity to create a collaborative whose impact, reach, and potential are far greater than the sum of its parts — advancing care, research, education, and innovation for children across the region and beyond,” said David Sylvan, UH’s Chief Strategy, Innovation & Marketing Officer.

UH Rainbow and Nationwide Children’s will work together to collectively recruit the best talent while jointly investing in facilities and services that best meet the needs of the region. The goal will be to develop pediatric-specific ambulatory offerings that attract top talent.

This expanded collaborative strengthens our leadership position by reinforcing our differentiated offerings and ensuring long-term growth.

“Together, the collective strength of the two organizations will be greater than what either could achieve alone,” Kiefer said. “This shared model creates a pediatric enterprise with deeper clinical excellence, quicker access to care, lower costs, higher value and strengthened patient-physician relationships. This collaborative will benefit patients, families, and caregivers.” 

Our teams will now move into operational planning, working together to develop workflows and processes to enhance pediatric care in Northeast Ohio.

This expanded collaborative represents a clear stand for growth, for children, and for the future of pediatric care in Northeast Ohio.