Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) is a U.S. pediatric hospital system headquartered in Columbus Ohio. ¹ It is notable for providing so-called “gender affirming” services to patients through its THRIVE Gender Development Program, ² and it received a grant from the Biden administration to study the long-term effects of hormone blockers used in transgender medicine. ³

Approximately 2.6 percent of NCH’s revenue came from government grants in the system’s 2023 tax year. ⁴   

Background

Nationwide Children’s Hospital is a nonprofit pediatric hospital system headquartered in Columbus, Ohio that is comprised of 68 facilities. ¹

Nationwide Children’s Hospital was originally founded as “the Children’s Hospital” in 1984. The hospital’s website states that its mission has remained, “to provide the best care for all children regardless of their family’s ability to pay.” ⁵

NCH has emphasized a commitment to the left-of-center concept of “health equity.” ⁶ The hospital has claimed that health outcomes “vary based on where a person lives.” ⁷

NCH founded the Kids Mental Health Foundation, originally the “On Our Sleeves Movement,” focused on breaking “stigmas” to promote mental health education. ⁸ In 2023, NCH provided the foundation with a grant of $1,881,509. ⁴

Activities

Nationwide Children’s Hospital provides medical care to transgender patients. ⁹ The system’s THRIVE Gender Development Program provides medical services for “transgender and gender diverse youth.” The NCH website states that the program works with patients who are “just starting to explore their gender identity” in addition to youth who meet “diagnostic criteria” relative to “gender dysphoria.” NCH states that it provides “gender affirming reproductive health services” and “medical interventions.” ²

As reported by the Capital Research Center, NCH received a $3 million grant from the Biden administration that CRC characterized as intended “to examine the long-term negative mental health consequences of supposedly reversible pubertal hormone blockers.” ³

NCH has been an active proponent of “affordable housing” initiatives and works with the Healthy Homes partnership, which renovates existing homes and builds homes with “energy efficient and green features.” ¹⁰ NCH also started the Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families Initiative, which is comprised of groups like faith-based organizations, nonprofits, and development programs to improve education, health, “affordable housing,” neighborhood enrichment, and “economic development.” ¹¹ NCH provided Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families with a grant of $4,910,350 in 2023. ⁴

NCH maintains a Government Relations Department to direct public funding towards the hospital and to create child health policy. ¹²

Through its Good Neighbor Agreement, NCH partners with local civic groups such as the Columbus Southside Area Commission and the Old Oaks Civic Association. ¹³ The group is also affiliated with Rev1Ventures, BioOhio, and OhioX. ¹⁴

Financials

In 2023, Nationwide Children’s Hospital reported total revenue of $3,887,139,371, approximately 2.6 percent of which derived from government grants. The group had total expenses of $3,569,891,659 and total assets of $8,225,022,410. ⁴

NCH is supported by companies including Honda and Abercrombie & Fitch, and the Dale Jr. Foundation, the personal philanthropy of former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ¹⁵

NCH provided grants in 2023 to numerous organizations such as the American Heart Association, Community Development for All People, United Way of Central Ohio, City Year Columbus, the Columbus Urban League, the Ronald McDonald House, and the United Negro College Fund. NCH provided grants of over $1 million to Children’s Surgical Associates, the Children’s Radiological Institute, and Healthy Linden Homes. The group also provided grants totaling $30,440,198 to the Pediatric Academic Association. In 2023, NCH gave the Cleveland Maidan Association $10,000 for “medical aid and supplies to Ukraine.” ⁴

Leadership

Timothy C. Robinson was the CEO of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital as of 2025. Robinson had worked for NCH for 30 years in various roles, including as chief financial officer. Robinson is a board member at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Association, Rev1 Ventures, the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation, OCLC, and Children’s Hospitals Solutions for Patient Safety. ¹⁶ Before working at NCH, Robinson worked for the Kobacker Company. ¹⁷ In 2023, NCH paid Robinson $1,833,593 and reported that Robinson was compensated an additional $65,249 from the organization and other related organizations. ⁴

1.  “Who We Are.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/about-us/who-we-are.
2. “Gender Development Program.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/-/media/nch/specialties/thrive/w132797_thrive-gender-brochure.ashx
3. Thayer, Parker. “More Transgender-Specific Grants to Children’s Hospitals and Universities.” Capital Research Center, February 19, 2025. https://capitalresearch.org/article/more-transgender-specific-grants-to-childrens-hospitals-and-universities/.
4. “Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Full Filing.” ProPublica. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/10782751/202423209349307837/full.
5. “History and Milestones.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-and-milestones.
6.  “Mission, Vision & Values.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/about-us/who-we-are/mission-vision-and-values.
7. “Population Health and Health Equity.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/about-us/population-health-and-wellness.
8. “The Kids Mental Health Foundation.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/about-us/who-we-are/collaborations/kmhf.
9. “Transgender: Staying Healthy.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/family-resources-library/transgender-staying-healthy.
10.  “Affordable Housing.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/about-us/population-health-and-wellness/healthy-neighborhoods-healthy-families/affordable-housing.
11. “Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/about-us/population-health-and-wellness/healthy-neighborhoods-healthy-families.
12. “Government Relations.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/about-us/who-we-are/community-and-advocacy/government-relations
13. “Good Neighbor Agreement.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/about-us/who-we-are/community-and-advocacy/community-relations/good-neighbor-agreement.
14. “Affiliations.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 31, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/research/technology-commercialization/transfer-to-transform/affiliations.
15. “National Partnerships.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/giving/meet-our-partners/national-partnerships.
16. “Timothy C. Robinson: Chief Executive Officer.” Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/about-us/who-we-are/leadership/tim-robinson.
17. “Tim Robinson – Nationwide Children’s Hospital.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 26, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-robinson-nch/.