“Every child is an inspiration – for now in their special uniqueness, and in the future, for their limitless potential. There is no greater work than to support and nurture our children.”
—Michele Cannon Bessler, MD & Robert Bessler, MD
The Bessler Center at Mary Bridge Children’s was founded in 2023 to advance health access and outcomes that achieve its vision that children in our community will be the healthiest in the nation. It is a partnership between two physician leaders in the community and MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and Health Network. The Bessler Center at Mary Bridge is grounded in the understanding that broad and diverse partnerships are critical to achieving sustainable health solutions. Because of this, partnering for impact is fundamental to how the Center engages in its work.
For all children to remain healthy in their community, we must work within the community. Our three chosen strategic focus areas are based on community input and feedback and local and national health data. Click here to read our most recent community health needs assessment.
Improving Prenatal and Infant Health Access and Care
Because all parents deserve healthy pregnancies and postpartum health, and each infant deserves a healthy start.
On July 23rd, 2024 the Bessler Center hosted a county-wide call to action to improve outcomes and resources for birthing families and infants. Watch a short summary video of the Healthy Births, Healthy Babies summit.
Support resources
- Breastfeeding support
- Family Connects Pierce County
- OB Access Clinic
- WIC Nutrition Services
- Learn more about our Pierce County and Washington pregnancy and birthing data and how our community is coming together to advance health outcomes. Read the data brief.
Promoting Early Childhood Wellness
So that preventable and treatable health concerns are addressed quickly.
Support resources
Supporting & Expanding Places Where Children Can Access Healthcare
So that all children have options for health services and support where they live, learn and play.
Support resources
About the Bessler Center
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Our approach
- Engage. We work with individuals and organizations to develop collaborative solutions, resource and programs so that all children thrive.
- Accelerate. We support and advance existing initiatives with community partners who are promoting positive health outcomes. Recent agencies we have sponsored include Being the Village, Shades of Divinity, and Neighbors Park Community Garden.
- Innovate. We work collaboratively to develop new solutions to complex health challenges.
- Generate. We develop philanthropic, grant and government funding to sustain programs and resources.
- Advocate. We promote and champion effective policy and legislation.
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Health data sources we utilize
- Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Center
- CDC Social Vulnerability Index
- Child Opportunity Index
- Healthy People 2030
- OSPI Washington State Report Card
- Pierce County Equity Index
- Robert Wood Johnson County Health Rankings and Roadmaps
- Washington Perinatal Dashboard
- Washington Tracking Network (WTN)
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Meet our leadership team: Michele Cannon Bessler, MD
Michele Cannon Bessler, MD
Co-founder & Pediatrician Lead
Michele Cannon Bessler launched the Bessler Center, in co-creative partnership with her husband and Mary Bridge Children’s leadership. The Bessler Center at Mary Bridge Children’s is grounded in the strength of our community and families to create the healthiest children in the nation. She is a board-certified community pediatrician with over two decades of experience who values the exceptional potential and strengths of every child, advocates for the unique, crucial health needs of youth and is ever grateful to the families and youth she has served. Dr Cannon serves on community non-profit school and children hospital boards, aligned with championing youth and families. She has served in school board leadership roles navigating the pandemic, strategic planning processes, recruitment phases and enjoys collaborative, professional work committed to nurturing the fullest potential of young people.
Dr Cannon is thankful for the opportunity to obtain her undergraduate degree from Brown University, her Doctor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and complete her pediatric residency and chief year at Rainbow Babies and Children in Cleveland, Ohio. To obtain a more systems approach mastery and to gain fuller appreciation for breadth and impact of public health, she is currently completing her Masters of Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr Cannon strives to see the extraordinary in the ordinary enjoying hiking, reading, yoga and her three adult children she and her husband raised in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
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Meet our leadership team: Chris Ladish, PhD
Chris Ladish, PhD
Assistant Vice President
Chris Ladish, PhD is the Assistant Vice President of the Bessler Center at Mary Bridge Children’s. Dr. Ladish is a licensed clinical psychologist and pediatric neuropsychologist who has treated children at Mary Bridge for over 27 years. She serves on multiple interagency health boards, leadership councils, and steering teams including Family Connects Pierce County, Pierce County School Nurse Collaborative, Kids’ Mental Health Pierce County, Pierce County Perinatal Collaborative, and Global COR, an international collaborative bringing interdisciplinary consultation to pediatric providers throughout the world. She is passionate about improving health equity and healthcare access for all children in need of care and enjoys working collaboratively to bring care and advance policy to support marginalized communities. Dr. Ladish supported statewide efforts to bring youth back to school during the Covid pandemic, working with state government, congressional leaders and United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
Dr. Ladish obtained her doctorate from Washington State University and completed internships and fellowships at the University of Washington and Stanford schools of medicine. She is currently pursuing her masters in public health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. She resides at home with her family in Renton, Washington.
