The official publication of the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA), Children’s Hospitals Today gives C-level hospital executives, administrators, directors, managers and those on the front lines of children’s health care the tools, strategy, insights and ideas they need to improve clinical operations and performance; maximize patients’ well-being; stay connected as a specialized care industry and fulfill their missions to improve and protect children’s health care.
The content we produce helps CHA engage and deliver member value by providing insightful and timely content that makes members feel knowledgeable and connected so they can perform in their roles driving outcomes for children’s health.
Submission guidelines
Article submissions to Children’s Hospitals Today are reviewed by editorial staff and subject matter experts. Editorial and publication decisions are based on the editorial team’s judgment. The views expressed in Children’s Hospitals Today are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CHA.
All submissions should be emailed to magazine@childrenshospitals.org. Please allow up to 12 weeks for the manuscript review process to be completed.
Language and style
Children’s Hospitals Today employs a blend of Associated Press and magazine style. Even the most technically intricate articles can be written in simple, non-technical, clear, casual, conversational tone and style, using verbal illustrations to make a point.
- Use short, precise words.
- Use active voice.
- Avoid jargon.
- Convey one thought per sentence.
- Construct brief paragraphs.
- Use third person (it, they, he/she, the hospital, the organization).
- Avoid the use of first-person or subjective pronouns (I, we, us, me, our, you).
Editing
All manuscripts will undergo a rigorous editing process. Editors will review all published articles for organization, clarity, style, tone and voice.
Feature articles
Authors are invited to submit original, feature length articles on the topics of:
- Child health initiatives
- Research and studies
- Technology, data, innovation
- Leadership and strategy
- Quality and patient safety
- Performance improvement
- Management
- Community benefit
- Care delivery
- Facilities
- Behavioral health
- Diversity, equity, inclusion
Recommended article length is 2,000 words and Microsoft Word files are preferred. Please avoid the use of footnotes or endnotes and instead write references into the article. Include supplemental data and charts when appropriate.
All feature article authors are requested to submit a headshot to accompany the article for online publication.
Department articles
In addition to feature articles, we’re looking for content in the following departments regularly covered in the magazine:
Rounds (100 words or less): Submit research, administrative or other hospital news items for consideration. Longer articles will be considered but may be subject to substantial editing.
- Commentary (800 words): Sound off on a topic of interest to your peers. What gets you fired up? What keeps you up at night? Share your opinions in this op-ed column.
- First person (800 words or less): Have you had a real-life experience or a patient you’ll never forget? Tell us how these moments changed your approach, perspective or reminded you of why you do what you do.
- Everyday hero (500 words or less, photo required for consideration): Shine a spotlight on a person in your hospital who rolls up his or her sleeves and makes a difference on the lives of patients.
- From experience (800 words): Did your hospital develop a new program, service or initiative to address a patient or family need? Tell us about the effort and lessons learned in its implementation.
- Innovation (800 words): We’re seeking your hospital’s stories on how you’ve transformed care, operations or culture in a way that none of your peer hospitals are doing. Share strategies, innovative ideas, processes and the people who make the difference in positioning your hospital for the future.
- Lead the way (200 words or less): Tell us your favorite leadership tip or the best piece of leadership advice you’ve ever received.
- Thriving (800 words, photo required for publication): Tell us about a child with a heartwarming or interesting health care story.
Industry submissions
Children’s Hospitals Today welcomes article submissions from companies or consultants within the hospital or health care industry, or from public relations agencies representing these companies. However, these articles should not be commercial in nature, should not be product specific and are subject to strict editing. Ideally, industry submissions will trade on the expertise of the submitting company in the discussion of a topic of general interest to children’s hospital administrators or focus on how a children’s hospital solved a problem or improved the management of the hospital.
Photographs and images
An article’s chance of publication is greatly enhanced if photographs or other illustrative material accompany the article. Please submit .jpg or .tif files with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (high-resolution). Please note that photos and images posted or saved from the internet are low resolution and not suitable for commercial printing. Original photographic prints are accepted but will not be returned.
Copyright
If a previously published work is submitted, you are required to certify you have retained publication rights and/or obtained consent from any other author(s) or entities that have previously published the article or any substantial portion thereof.
