Kimberly Moses – Akron Children’s Hospital

Akron Children’s Hospital has long been recognized as one of the nation’s leading pediatric hospitals, but its reputation stems from more than its rankings or facilities. The hospital is known for its compassionate, community-centered approach to pediatric health care. Providers, nurses, and staff don’t just provide treatment—they create comfort, spark smiles, and ensure every child feels cared for like family. Guided by its mission to improve the health of children through patient care, education, research, advocacy, and community partnerships, the hospital has committed itself to being the most trusted, inclusive, and accessible pediatric health system in the communities it serves.

Kimberly Moses | Akron Children’s Hospital | Chief Legal Officer

Three promises anchor the organization’s work: to treat every child as their own, to treat others as they would like to be treated, and to never turn away a child in need. This philosophy has shaped Akron Children’s into more than a healthcare provider—it is a regional resource, a teaching institution, and a place where families feel supported in moments of uncertainty.

To sustain that level of care and meet the demands of growth, the hospital requires more than outstanding providers and caregivers. It needs a strong legal, risk, and compliance framework that allows clinical teams to focus on their work without disruption. Leading that effort is Kimberly Moses, who joined Akron Children’s in October 2023 as chief legal officer. With more than 30 years of experience across health systems, insurers, and corporate legal environments, Moses is helping the hospital scale strategically, manage risk, and improve patient access.

Building a legal department for a growing organization

When Moses arrived at Akron Children’s, her first steps involved restructuring how the department managed its workload. Many matters had been outsourced to external counsel, which created inefficiencies and costs. Moses issued a request for proposals to build stronger partnerships with outside counsel at competitive rates. That strategy gave the hospital greater control over its legal spend and ensured that external partners understood the organization’s culture and priorities.

At the same time, she focused inward on her team of 14, which includes attorneys and professionals in compliance, risk management, and patient relations. She emphasizes collaboration and proactive problem-solving, encouraging her staff to act as “thinkers” who anticipate needs rather than simply react to problems.

“Trust and being proactive are extremely important when it comes to leading a legal department, especially in healthcare,” she says.

With more than three decades of experience, Moses knows the importance of letting her team practice at the top of their license. She provides guidance and mentorship but expects the attorneys on her team to exercise independent judgment and take ownership of their work.

“I abhor micromanagement,” she notes. “I want my team to think independently, practice with autonomy, and grow as leaders.”

That growth mindset applies to her own role as well. Moses carved out clear 90-day, six-month, and one-year goals when she joined the hospital. Almost two years into her tenure, she has already restructured the legal department, strengthened external counsel partnerships, and created space for her team to be more efficient. But she isn’t done. Her vision is for the department to be an integral partner in every major hospital initiative, providing both legal guidance and strategic input.

Improving access & supporting families

For Moses, legal work at a children’s hospital is never just about contracts and compliance. It’s about finding ways to remove barriers to care so that families can focus on their children’s health. Since her arrival, the hospital has begun building a program with the University of Akron School of Law, where interns supervised by attorneys provide pro bono legal services to families of patients.

The program is in its second semester and already making a difference. Many families face challenges related to custody, guardianship, or financial eligibility that can complicate their ability to consent to treatment or access care. By partnering with patient relations and social work departments, the legal team identifies families who could benefit and connects them with free legal assistance to remove barriers associated with consenting to care.

“We’re trying to make sure that no child is denied care because of a legal barrier,” Moses explains.

Her patient relations department tracks and trends complaints from families to identify systemic issues. Concerns often include out-of-pocket expenses, delays in getting appointments, or perceptions of care. Moses uses this data to work with clinical and administrative leaders on process improvements.

Technology is another tool she embraces. Moses supports the hospital’s shift toward digital communication, allowing families to book appointments and access information without relying solely on phone calls. Technological advances often pose risks, particularly related to patient privacy. From a legal perspective, she weighs risks carefully but believes that the benefits of improving access outweigh the challenges.

“You have to weigh the risks versus the benefits,” she says. “We’re here to support the organization and protect it, but also to enable innovation that helps families.”

Her department has also tackled complex questions around patient consent, particularly in situations involving divorced parents, foster care, or families with religious objections to treatment. By ensuring clarity and compliance with Ohio law, Moses helps providers maintain autonomy in medical decisions while protecting the hospital and supporting patient rights.

Leadership, mentorship & resilience

Moses’s career path has been anything but linear, and that diversity of experience informs her leadership today. After earning her finance degree from Robert Morris University, she began working in medical claims processing at an insurance company. Experiencing workplace discrimination motivated her to attend law school at night while working full-time. She graduated in 1994 from Duquesne University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law and began a career that would take her across multiple sectors of healthcare and beyond.

She spent nearly a decade at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, where she worked closely with the same CEO who later recruited her to Akron. She also held legal roles at the University of Pittsburgh’s health sciences schools, Highmark Health, and even in banking, where she built an in-house legal function from scratch. Along the way, she chaired the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluation Commission and taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s Healthcare Compliance certificate program.

These experiences taught her that effective in-house counsel must understand not just the law, but the business.

“You have to understand the ins and outs of your company’s business and be comfortable asking questions to be an effective attorney,” she says.

Her finance and business background give her an edge in analyzing risk, evaluating strategy, and advising executives.

Now at Akron Children’s, Moses is committed to mentorship and helping the lawyers in her department continue to develop their leadership abilities.

“A lot of my mentorship has to do with soft skills,” she explains. “They’re already sharp lawyers. I help them navigate managing people, managing expectations, and developing as leaders.”

Her open-door style and direct, transparent communication have built trust within her team. She models resilience by balancing immediate demands with long-term goals, recognizing that in a hospital environment, legal issues can arise at any moment.

“There is never a boring day,” she says with a laugh.

Balancing risk & mission

Even as she builds her team and provides support to expand access for families, Moses remains vigilant about risks that could impact the hospital. Cybersecurity is one of her top concerns.

“It isn’t if, it’s when, when it comes to cybersecurity,” she cautions.

The hospital has strong protocols and regular training, including simulated phishing tests, but Moses emphasizes the importance of continuous education and preparation.

Her department recently oversaw conflict-of-interest disclosures and continues to refine compliance processes. She encourages her team to be practical about technology and AI adoption, ensuring that patient privacy and HIPAA standards remain protected while enabling innovation.

Above all, Moses sees her role as helping the hospital achieve its mission.

“The decision on whether to treat a patient is not the decision of the legal department,” she says. “Our role is to support, protect, and enable those who provide care.”

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Moses never expected her career to bring her to Akron. Yet in many ways, the role fits perfectly with her passion for children, healthcare, mentorship, and community service. As Akron Children’s continues to grow, its leadership ensures that its legal, risk, and compliance functions remain aligned with its mission: to treat every child as though they were family and never turn one away.