TACOMA, Wash. — Chris Ladish, Ph.D., chief clinical officer of pediatric behavioral health at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and MultiCare Behavioral Health Network, earned the 2022 Pediatric Provider of the Year award from the Washington state chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
“Chris is a tireless leader and advocate for youth and their mental health needs,” said Jeff Poltawsky, president and market leader of Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network. “She is passionate about her work, and we are incredibly lucky to have her on our team and as a behavioral health expert in the greater Pacific Northwest.”
Ladish is a licensed clinical psychologist and pediatric neuropsychologist, and has spent the past 25 years building and strengthening mental health services for children in need, particularly for those in Pierce and South King counties. She is a founding member of the nationally recognized Kids’ Mental Health Pierce County community collaborative. In addition to her clinical work with children and youth at Mary Bridge Children’s, Ladish has spent countless hours working to destigmatize mental health issues on local and national levels.
In 2021, NAMI Washington awarded Kids’ Mental Health Pierce County with the Program of the Year award. It also named the collaborative its first-ever Youth Mental Health Program of the Year in 2020. The organization solicits nominations every October and announces the winners in December. For more information about NAMI Washington, visit namiwa.org.
About Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1955, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital is the state-designated Level II Pediatric Trauma Center for Western Washington. Offering comprehensive care and resources for critically ill and injured children, Mary Bridge Children’s is the only pediatric hospital in Southwest Washington. Mary Bridge Children’s also provides primary, specialty, therapy and urgent care services at its outpatient centers and clinics across the Puget Sound region, including Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, Olympia, Auburn, Covington, Maple Valley, Federal Way, Renton, Bonney Lake and Silverdale.
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network believes that kids should be at the front of the line. More than a place of hope and healing, Mary Bridge Children’s is a place where expert care helps kids get back to doing what they do best: being kids. Mary Bridge Children’s serves children and families, regardless of ability to pay, thanks to generous contributions to the Mary Bridge Children’s Foundation.
Mary Bridge Children’s is a part of MultiCare Health System, the largest community-based and locally governed health system in Washington state. For more information about Mary Bridge Children’s, visit marybridge.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, or our Kite Strings blog.
