U.S. News & World Report released the 2026-27 edition of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” and named 11 hospitals to its Honor Roll.
For the 20th edition, U.S. News and RTI International, a North Carolina-based research and consulting firm, collected and examined data from 114 children’s hospitals and surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists. Hospitals are evaluated across 11 pediatric specialties.
Becker’s reviewed hospital websites and news releases to find the clinical leaders at each hospital, including chief nursing officer, chief medical officer and chief quality officer.
Here are the clinical leaders of each hospital recognized on the honor roll (hospitals are listed in alphabetical order):
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
- CMO: Marcelo Malakooti, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer, hospital operations and medical innovation
- CNO: Brian Stahulak, DNP, RN, senior vice president and chief clinical and nursing officer
Boston Children’s Hospital
- CMO: Joan LaRovere, MD, senior vice president and interim chief medical officer
- CNO: Laura Wood, DNP, RN, executive vice president, patient care operations; system chief nursing executive
- CQO: Sara Toomey, MD, chief safety and quality officer, senior vice president and chief experience officer
Children’s Hospital Colorado (Aurora)
- CMO: David Brumbaugh, MD, chief medical officer
- CNO: Jen Roth, chief nursing executive and senior vice president, patient care services
- CQO: Lalit Bajaj, MD, chief quality officer
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
- CMO: James Stein, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer
- CNO: Kelly Johnson, PhD, RN, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
- CMO: Ron Keren, MD, senior vice president and system chief medical officer
- CNO: Paula Agosto, RN, senior vice president and system chief nursing officer
Children’s National Hospital (Washington, D.C.)
- CMO: Elizabeth Wells, MD, executive vice president, chief clinical officer and physician-in-chief
- CNO: Cicely “CC” Brooks, DNP, RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer
- CQO: Jackie Saito, MD, chief quality and safety officer
Cincinnati Children’s
- CMO: Tina Cheng, MD, chief medical officer
- CNO: Carrie Romano, DNP, RN, chief nurse executive
- CQO: Eric Williams, MD, chief quality officer
Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus, Ohio)
- CMO: Catherine Krawczeski, MD, physician-in-chief and chief medical officer
- CNO: Tara Floyd, BSN, RN, chief nursing officer
- CQO: Maitreya Coffey, MD, chief quality officer
Seattle Children’s Hospital
- CMO: Ruth McDonald, MD, vice president and chief medical officer
- CNO: Bonnie Fryzlewicz, DNP, RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer
Texas Children’s Hospital (Houston)
- CNO: Jackie Ward, system chief nurse executive and senior vice president
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
- CMO: Michael Ost, MD, chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs
- CNO: Paula Eicker, MSN, RN, vice president, patient care services and chief nursing officer
