Cincinnati Children's Hospital, which employs more than 1,025 workers at its Liberty Township campus on Yankee Road, has been named the top health system employer in Ohio on Forbes' 2026 Best Employers list.

The pediatric health system ranked No. 7 overall out of 1,365 companies recognized statewide and No. 1 among all health systems in Ohio, according to a Wednesday, Aug. 12, announcement from the hospital. Cincinnati Children's also ranked No. 1 in Cincinnati across all industries.

The recognition comes as the health system pushes forward with a $365 million expansion of its Liberty Campus at 7777 Yankee Road, near the I-75/Ohio 129 interchange. Liberty Township trustees gave preliminary approval in January 2025 to the project, which will nearly triple inpatient beds from 42 to 114 by 2028 and add a 150,000-square-foot medical office building targeted for completion in 2027. The expansion is expected to create at least 250 new jobs over five years.

With more than 19,600 employees regionwide, Cincinnati Children's is the largest health system in Southwest Ohio and the second-largest employer in the region, according to the press release. President and CEO Steve Davis credited the hospital's workforce for the recognition, saying their expertise "earned us recognition as one of Ohio's Best Employers and the nation's leading pediatric health system." Davis said the organization is focused on investing in its workforce and fostering professional growth.

Forbes and market research firm Statista compiled the ranking by surveying more than 245,000 workers at companies with at least 500 employees. Participants rated their willingness to recommend their employer and evaluated wages, work culture, development opportunities and whether the company takes action on serious issues.

The ranking is a separate honor from the Forbes Best Employers for Women list, on which Cincinnati Children's earned a ninth consecutive appearance, as we reported Aug. 7. That list surveyed approximately 150,000 women at companies with 1,000 or more employees, while the Best Employers in Ohio ranking covers all workers at companies with 500 or more.

Liberty Township trustee Tom Farrell called the campus "one of Liberty's crown jewels" in January 2025, when trustees gave preliminary approval to the expansion. "Liberty Township, its residents, and its businesses are better because of Children's Hospital," Farrell said at the time.

The Liberty Campus currently operates a 24/7 emergency department, eight operating suites, a blood bank and a family resource center, along with the $120 million Proton Therapy Center that opened in 2016. The medical office building is targeted for 2027, with expanded inpatient capacity expected by 2028.