Staff Reports | Community Updates
Phoenix Children’s has appointed Joshua D. Koch, MD, as senior vice president of hospital-based services, a newly created executive physician leadership role designed to strengthen coordination across the health system’s hospital-based clinical programs.
Dr. Koch will report directly to Phoenix Children’s President and CEO John R. Nickens IV and will oversee Critical Care, Neonatology and Fetal Care, Emergency Departments and Urgent Cares, Hospital Medicine, Radiology and Pathology, according to a press release.
“Dr. Koch is exactly the right person to lead this next chapter for our hospital-based services. He embodies the kind of leader we want to develop and elevate,” Mr. Nickens said. “This new role reflects how we’re investing in the future of Phoenix Children’s by strengthening physician leadership and ensuring our teams have the support they need to deliver the highest level of care.”
Dr. Koch previously served as co-director of the Center for Heart Care and division chief of Cardiac Critical Care Medicine and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. He also served as chair of the Phoenix Children’s Medical Group Governance Council and vice president of the medical staff, elected positions that reflected the confidence of his physician colleagues and his experience in multidisciplinary care.
Throughout his career, Dr. Koch has helped develop clinical programs, expand multidisciplinary care teams, train critical care providers and support new approaches to caring for critically ill children.
His research and academic work have focused on neurologic outcomes, cardiac arrest prevention and post-cardiac arrest care, patient safety and team culture. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, World Journal for Pediatrics and Congenital Heart Surgery and Cardiology in the Young.
“The best decisions in pediatric healthcare put children first,” Dr. Koch said. “My goal is to create a culture where it’s easy to say yes to what’s right for kids. That means listening to our teams, breaking down barriers and supporting everyone who pours themselves into this work every day. Hospital-based medicine is complex and demanding. When we focus on caring for one another as well as our patients, we can solve challenges together and deliver the very best care for children and families.”
Dr. Koch earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas and completed his pediatric residency and pediatric critical care medicine fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he served as chief resident and chief fellow.
He is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric critical care medicine and holds academic appointments with Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix and Creighton University School of Medicine.
