Ready for What’s Next
Big-hearted care. Bold moves for kids.
Something powerful is happening at Phoenix Children’s.
Every day, children and families find expert care, deep compassion and people who are all in when it matters most.
Phoenix Children’s is growing with purpose to meet the needs of children today while building for what comes next. That means expanding access, advancing discovery, strengthening care and continuing to say yes to kids in new and meaningful ways.
This is a moment of momentum for Phoenix Children’s and a clear signal that the organization is ready for what’s next.
John's Perspective
What John Sees at Phoenix Children’s
When John Nickens stepped into leadership as CEO of Phoenix Children’s in October 2025, he spent his early months listening across campuses, care teams, families and the broader community.
What he found was a health system defined by extraordinary people, deep commitment and a culture ready to keep growing in service of children and families.
He saw clinicians and teams who show up with excellence and heart. He saw honesty, pride and a shared belief that Phoenix Children’s can be the best at getting better. And he saw a health system with real momentum and a clear readiness to build boldly for the future.
What follows is a look at Phoenix Children’s today through that lens: where the organization stands, what makes it strong and what comes next.
Caring For Children Today
Delivering Exceptional Care for the Children Who Depend on Us
“Families deserve our best.”
When families come to Phoenix Children’s, they are trusting us in some of the most important moments of their lives.
They deserve extraordinary care. They deserve compassion. And they deserve to know that every person they encounter is fully committed to helping their child heal, recover and move forward.
That belief shapes what care looks like at Phoenix Children’s every day, from the most complex clinical moments to the deeply human ones families never forget.
A First Step Forward
One of John Nickens’ earliest memories at Phoenix Children’s was meeting a young patient named Lilly.
She had recently undergone spinal fusion surgery and had not yet taken her first steps in recovery. As John visited the unit during his first week as CEO, Lilly called him over, handed him her walker and told him she was ready to try.
With her care team and family nearby, Lilly stood up, took her first step and gave him a thumbs-up.
It was a simple moment, and a powerful one.
Because at Phoenix Children’s, life-changing care happens every day. Sometimes it looks like highly specialized surgery and expert clinical care. Sometimes it looks like a child finding the courage to stand, take a step and begin moving forward again.
That is what families trust Phoenix Children’s to deliver: the skill, support and heart to help children through moments that matter most.
At Phoenix Children’s, exceptional care is measured not only in clinical outcomes, but in the way teams show up for children and families every day. Those moments of care build trust, confidence, and hope.
15 years
U.S. News Best Children’s Hospital
No. 1
in Arizona
for pediatric care
6
specialties
nationally ranked
Advancing Discovery
Driving the Next Breakthroughs in Pediatric Medicine
“Every breakthrough starts with a question: How can we do this better for kids?”
Discovery at Phoenix Children’s is not separate from care. It is part of how care gets better.
From research labs to patient rooms, teams are working to improve diagnosis, strengthen treatment and bring new solutions to children faster.
Phoenix Children’s is also helping shape the future of pediatric medicine through education, academic partnerships and a growing culture of inquiry, innovation and excellence.
This work is about helping children benefit from tomorrow’s breakthroughs sooner.
Research & Innovation
New discoveries at Phoenix Children’s are helping improve how diseases are diagnosed, treated and managed, bringing better outcomes to children faster.
Advancing high-impact pediatric research and clinical discovery
Academic Partnerships
Collaboration with academic partners is helping advance pediatric research, accelerate discover and bring new approaches into care for children and families.
Strengthening academic partnerships to advance pediatric care and discovery
Training the Next Generation
Phoenix Children’s is preparing the next generation of pediatric caregivers through residency, fellowship and hands-on learning.
Expanding pediatric training and education programs.
Expanding Our Reach
Bringing More Care to More Children
“Access to care is one of the clearest ways we can improve the health of a generation.”
For families, access to pediatric care is personal.
It is about how quickly they can be seen. Whether the right pediatric expert is nearby. Whether care feels within reach when their child needs it most.
Phoenix Children’s is expanding across Arizona to bring care closer to home through hospitals, clinics, emergency departments and partnerships designed to meet families where they are.
This work is about more than growth. It is about reducing barriers, strengthening trust and making it easier for children and families to receive the specialized support they need.
And there is more ahead. There is a clear opportunity to continue expanding access across Arizona, including in rural communities and other areas where families need more connection and more pediatric expertise close to home.
West Valley expansion
Arrowhead Campus
Critical care transport
Bringing care to children faster
Behavioral health access
24/7 behavioral health support
Community-based care
Clinics and freestanding EDs
Rural outreach
Partnering across Arizona
Statewide growth
From hospital to health system
Strengthening The System Behind The Care
Building the Foundation for What Comes Next
“We are going to be the best at getting better.”
Children and families may not always see the systems behind the scenes, but they feel the difference when those systems are strong.
They feel it when care is connected. When teams communicate well. When the right expertise is available. When technology supports a smoother experience. When the environment around them reflects the same excellence as the care itself.
Phoenix Children’s is making the kinds of foundational investments that help turn great care into a stronger, more connected health system. That includes growing and evolving programs, investing in technology and innovation, strengthening nursing and workforce development and building the infrastructure needed to support care for years to come.
This work is not about getting bigger for the sake of growth. It is about getting better, more connected, more capable and more ready to meet the future of pediatric care with confidence.
Building Programs That Go Further
Building destination-level care for children
Phoenix Children’s is strengthening key programs through specialized expertise, advanced technology and coordinated care. This work is helping more children access highly specialized pediatric care across the system.
Technology and Innovation
Building a stronger foundation for care
Phoenix Children’s is investing in the systems that support how care is delivered, coordinated and experienced. These foundational decisions are enabling a more connected, efficient health system.
Workforce and Nursing Excellence
Supporting the people behind the care
The strength of Phoenix Children’s starts with its people. Investments in nursing excellence, workforce development and team well-being are helping ensure caregivers have the support they need to deliver exceptional care.
What Comes Next
“We are making generational decisions that will shape what comes next.”
The future of pediatric health care will move fast, and Phoenix Children’s is preparing for it.
New technologies. New discoveries. New ways to care for children and support families.
Phoenix Children’s is making thoughtful, disciplined investments now to build a system that is ready for the next era of pediatric care, one that is stronger, more connected and better positioned to serve children and families across Arizona and beyond.
That means strengthening access, advancing innovation, deepening partnerships and continuing to build the kind of culture and capability that can sustain excellence for years to come.
Most of all, it means staying rooted in what matters most: doing the right thing for kids.
Priorities
Expanding access across Arizona
Advancing research, innovation and education
Strengthening the systems that support exceptional care
Pursuing Magnet designation for nursing excellence
1998
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2003
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2018
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2024
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Ready for what’s next.
All in for kids.
Phoenix Children’s is building a future where more children can access expert care, more families can find support and more possibilities can become reality.
That future is being shaped right now by extraordinary people, bold ideas and a community that continues to show up for kids.
And Phoenix Children’s is just getting started.
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