Up & Comers - 2017

When Daniel Barr joined the staff at Nationwide Children's Hospital five years ago, his office was located just outside the pediatric intensive-care unit, which ensured that he had no truly bad days.

"It just gave me great perspective," he said. "You realize you don't have any problems that compare to what those kids and parents are going through."
 

"If you can help people through those impossibly tough decisions, that's a greater purpose."

Barr has moved through the healthcare ranks, advancing from a compliance officer for Tenet Healthcare Corp. to director of service line development for women's and children's services at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland.

As vice president of operations for Nationwide Children's in Columbus, Ohio, Barr manages the hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant service line. He is currently responsible for over $200 million in revenue, approximately 230 full-time employees and more than 30 physicians, as well as the clinical research and translational research team that supports clinician scientists within the Research Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases. During his tenure, the service line has seen a 55% increase in net margin.

As the father of two daughters, he sees healthcare, especially the care of children, as a higher calling. "In college, the one class that really sparked me was a bioethics course, because you go through all these case studies that simulate what parents and physicians go through and you realize how personalized healthcare is. If you can help people through those impossibly tough decisions, that's a greater purpose."

In his role, Barr also co-leads the employee safety program, which is focused on achieving zero preventable employee injuries and improving mental health wellness. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has held leadership roles at ACHE Philadelphia as an executive member of the regent advisory committee.--Valerie Lapointe