When Robert Meyer stepped into the CEO role at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in 2003, the organization was on the brink of bankruptcy. Facing a $68 million loss and pressure from bondholders, many doubted the hospital’s ability to survive as an independent institution. Meyer, then a consultant with Ernst & Young, had already seen the depth of the challenges. But when the board asked if he believed Phoenix Children’s could be turned around, his answer — and the course of Arizona’s pediatric healthcare — changed forever.

“Phoenix Children’s was the dream of the Maricopa County pediatric association,” recalls Meyer, who retired from Phoenix Children’s in October. “The physicians were 100% committed to the future of Phoenix Children’s. That support gave us time and we made it work.”

Within a year, Meyer and his team transformed the hospital’s finances, swinging from a $68 million loss to a $3 million profit. By 2007, the hospital was back in the bond market, securing $450 million to build a state-of-the-art facility on Thomas Road. That bold bet laid the foundation for a children’s hospital unlike any other in the region.

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From survival to growth

Meyer’s vision was never just about financial stability—it was about building a hospital capable of offering world-class pediatric care in one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation. At the time, Arizona families were often forced to travel out of state for complex procedures such as heart surgery, organ transplants, and advanced cancer care.

“Our strategy from the beginning was to build programs so families didn’t have to leave Arizona,” Meyer says. “The goal was to deliver world-class care right here.”

Under his leadership, Phoenix Children’s opened its 11-story tower in 2011, complete with cardiac ICUs, neurosurgical operating rooms, and specialized cancer facilities. That same year, the hospital finalized a pivotal partnership with St. Joseph’s Hospital, combining volumes and expertise to create nationally ranked programs in neurosciences, hematology/oncology, and cardiology.

The impact was immediate. Phoenix Children’s rapidly rose in national rankings, becoming recognized year after year by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals. More importantly, children from across Arizona — and increasingly, across the world — began coming to Phoenix for care.

Centers of Excellence

During Meyer’s 22-year tenure, Phoenix Children’s grew from a struggling local hospital into a network of nationally recognized centers of excellence. The hospital now leads the country in programs like spine surgery, hematology/oncology, and neurology.

One standout is the Pectus Program, which treats children with inverted rib cages using the Nuss procedure. “We’ve become a global destination for this,” Meyer notes. “We’ve treated kids from 15 different countries, and we’re now recognized internationally as the leader.”

Another milestone came with the hospital’s groundbreaking artificial heart surgery in the youngest patient ever—an eight-year-old who successfully received a heart transplant after 90 days on the device.

“These aren’t just medical advances,” Meyer emphasizes. “They are life-changing experiences for families who once had nowhere else to turn.”

Listening to families

Beyond facilities and programs, Meyer is quick to credit families for shaping Phoenix Children’s evolution. Early on, the hospital pioneered family advisory councils, ensuring parents had a voice in everything from facility design to patient experience.

“Families told us traffic was a challenge. They wanted care closer to home,” Meyer explains. “That feedback drove our geographic expansion.”

The result was new campuses and specialty centers across the Valley, including Arrowhead, Avondale, and a joint venture women’s and children’s hospital in Gilbert, slated to open in 2026.

Workforce and training

Meyer also prioritized workforce development, recognizing Arizona’s severe physician and nurse shortages. When he arrived, the state had no pediatric fellowship programs. Today, Phoenix Children’s sponsors 28, training the next generation of specialists in cardiology, oncology, neurosurgery, and more.

“We had to grow our own,” Meyer says. “Developing fellowship programs was essential—not only for Arizona but also for building our own workforce.”

The hospital has also become a vital partner in training medical students and residents from across the Valley’s medical schools, reinforcing Phoenix’s role as a hub for pediatric care and education.

Defining moments

Looking back, Meyer cites the partnership with St. Joseph’s as the most defining decision of his tenure. The combination vaulted Phoenix Children’s into the national spotlight and created the scale necessary to recruit top specialists and expand advanced care.

“That was the moment we went from being a regional player to being recognized nationally,” Meyer says. “It gave us the critical mass to compete at the highest level.”

A bold legacy for Robert Meyer

As Meyer settles into retirement, his focus remains on the future. Ongoing projects include a new pediatric behavioral health hospital in partnership with Shepherd Pratt and Arizona State University, a response to one of the community’s most pressing needs.

His advice to the next generation of healthcare leaders: “Be bold. Growth is the right answer. This community is exploding, and children’s healthcare must keep pace.”

Meyer takes pride not only in the programs built but in the families kept close to home. “When I arrived, families had to leave Arizona for care. Now families come here from around the world. That’s the legacy I’m proud of—that Phoenix Children’s is world-class, and children no longer have to leave home for the care they deserve.”