John Nickens IV
President and CEO, Children’s Hospital New Orleans
“I’ve visited the top 10 children’s hospitals in the country and I can tell you that what we’re creating here right now is going to match that level of excellence,” says John Nickens IV.
This past September, Nickens became the new president and CEO of Children’s Hospital New Orleans, just as the hospital is undergoing a $300 million multiphase renovation.
Nickens has not only visited the top 10 children’s hospitals, he most recently served as senior vice president at one — Texas Children’s Hospital, ranked No. 4 nationally by the latest U.S. News & World Report honors. He says he was drawn to New Orleans by the tremendous possibilities he sees here.
“There is no place in the country where a children’s hospital has created it’s own system,” he says. “The idea is to switch from just healing the sick to creating a total environment of health.”
Expected to reach completion in December 2020, the hospital’s renovations include a long list of new care centers — from cardiac to behavioral health — expanding the footprint from 394,500 square feet to 629,500. Nickens, however, says he’s most excited about the opportunity for parents to stay with their children while they are admitted, noting that almost all rooms will be private with places for parents to stay and participate in their child’s care.
“This isn’t about just adding more beds,” says Nickens. “It’s about providing patient-centric care in a family environment with state-of-the-art technology.
It’s about practicing medicine in the way it’s going to look, in say, 2035.”
