When Terry Haley joined Jacksonville, Fla.-based Nemours Children’s Health in November as executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer, he stepped into the role at what he views as a pivotal moment for pediatric healthcare.
“I joined Nemours Children’s Health at a moment when pediatric healthcare has an opportunity and a responsibility to lead broader change,” Mr. Haley told Becker’s.
In discussing his early priorities, Mr. Haley pointed to what he described as a foundational challenge in the current healthcare system, one he said Nemours President and CEO R. Lawrence Moss, MD, has long emphasized: that the health system is largely designed to treat illness rather than produce health, a gap that often emerges early in children’s lives.
Mr. Haley wants the Nemours brand to reflect a broader definition of care.
“My vision for the Nemours Children’s brand in 2026 is to be recognized nationally as a leader in delivering health, not just health care — anchored in our Whole Child Health approach,” he said.
That approach, Mr. Haley explained, extends beyond traditional clinical settings.
“This means addressing the full set of drivers that shape a child’s health, from nutrition and housing to literacy and family stability,” while also advancing “a pay-for-health model that aligns incentives with long-term health outcomes,” he said.
One of the first challenges Mr. Haley is focused on solving is scale.
“The first problem I’m motivated to solve is scale — how do we move from a strong local impact to national influence,” he said. “We want to amplify both our exceptional clinical care and the meaningful work we do in communities, so families, policymakers and partners see Nemours not only as a trusted provider, but as a blueprint for what pediatric health care can and should be.”
From a branding and communications perspective, Mr. Haley sees untapped opportunity in strengthening how Nemours tells its story. While the organization launched its master brand in 2021 alongside its strategic plan, he said there is more work to do to deepen understanding of Whole Child Health.
“A significant opportunity is creating stronger connective tissue between the exceptional medical care we provide and our Whole Child Health approach,” Mr. Haley said. “Parents and caregivers want the very best health for their child, and Nemours is uniquely positioned to support that, both inside the hospital and where children live, learn and play. These aren’t separate worlds; they’re intrinsically linked,” he added. “By telling that story clearly and consistently, we can quickly unlock greater engagement and trust.”
Mr. Haley also pointed to shifting digital expectations among parents as a key factor shaping how Nemours plans to reach and retain families.
“Parents increasingly expect healthcare to be as seamless and digital as every other part of their lives,” he said. “A major shift shaping how we reach and retain families is the demand for friction-free access — making it easy to learn about, choose and engage with care online.”
That expectation aligns with Nemours’ history of innovation, Mr. Haley said, from launching KidsHealth.org before Google existed to its recent rollout of Nemours Children’s Health Advanced Care at Home, the nation’s first pediatric at-home care program designed by a freestanding children’s hospital.
“This breakthrough model combines technology and 24/7 clinical access with personalized care that lets children recover safely in their own environment, improves outcomes, reduces readmissions and delivers a better experience for families,” he said, “redefining what pediatric care looks like in a digital-first world.”
Looking ahead, Mr. Haley said AI will be embedded in nearly every aspect of healthcare marketing, but in pediatrics, the focus must remain on trust.
“With children’s health, trust is non-negotiable,” he said. “That means being intentional about where and how AI is used, transparent about its role, and disciplined about safeguarding data, accuracy and equity.”
For Nemours, Mr. Haley said the opportunity is to model responsible adoption.
“The opportunity is to lead by example, using AI to improve clarity and access while reinforcing that human judgment, clinical expertise, patient and family experience, and values remain at the center of our brand,” he said.
As Mr. Haley settles into the role, his focus is less on introducing a new narrative and more on amplifying one already underway — positioning Nemours Children’s Health for national influence at a time when pediatric care is being asked to redefine its role in the healthcare system.
