Nationwide Children’s Hospital taps new leader

Board chairman looks to Robinson to continue progress.

The board of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus has chosen the institution’s top financial leader to take over as chief executive officer when Dr. Steve Allen retires in June.

Tim Robinson, executive vice president and chief financial and administrative officer, will take the reins of the central Ohio pediatric health-care system on July 1, Nationwide Children’s announced Tuesday.

Board Chairman Alex Fischer said Allen will leave the hospital in an “extraordinarily strong position” with strides made in research, patient safety, population health, community partnerships and mental-health care.

“This is a moment in which we want to accelerate our progress, and leadership changes are always the opportunity to dig deep, to take a critical fresh eye on the progress we are making and ask the question, ‘How can we go further faster around the critical missions?’ ” Fischer said. “... We’re looking to Tim and are confident Tim can not only deliver on that agenda but ask the critical questions about how we accelerate it.”

Robinson, 60, said there are “big shoes to fill,” he said, but he’s been by Allen’s side for a number of years and believes the system is poised for a successful transition.

“We have such a great team here, such a great mission and strategic plan that is well thought out and midcourse in terms of execution,” he said. “We’re in an exceptionally good position.”

The move will replace Allen, whose background is in clinical care, with a leader whose background is on the business side.

Fischer noted that the hospital needs a mix of healthcare and business experience, whether a physician with business experience, like Allen, or a business person with hospital experience, like Robinson.

“One thing that was really, really clear was the great respect Tim has among the physicians and researchers and nursing staff and the entire team, which is critical in taking the culture and continuing to build on it,” Fischer said.

Robinson said everything done at Nationwide Children’s involves an integrated approach, pulling together physicians, business professionals, information technology workers, lawyers and others to work on issues as a team.

He said his role as executive vice president, which he took on in 2008, has involved him in many clinical operations, as well as Partners for Kids, which serves as a bridge between providers and the state’s Medicaid managed-care plans, community-based activities, fundraising efforts, government relations and advocacy.

Allen, who holds a master’s in business administration, will have been at Nationwide Children’s for 13 years when he leaves June 30. He said he’s confident Robinson will fulfill and exceed the goals that have been set for Nationwide Children’s.

“I’m very pleased. I know the search committee, as well as the board and leadership, went through a very extensive, wide-ranging search process and looked at incredibly good talent from around the country,” Allen said.