Supporting illness prevention for Pierce County kids
Five-year-old Winifred is an avid unicorn sticker collector, expert twirler and the center of her mom Ashley’s world.
Every fall, Ashley ensures her daughter gets her flu and COVID-19 vaccines to help prevent illness before it occurs. This matters even more in their household, as Ashley is immunocompromised.
But in 2025, she faced ongoing challenges securing the COVID-19 vaccine for Winifred. Logistical issues and regulatory delays left many parents like Ashley unable to find age-appropriate vaccines for their little ones. Her local pharmacy never received pediatric doses.
Relief finally came through a community vaccination partnership created by the Bessler Center at Mary Bridge Children’s with Acts Pharmacy and Healthcare Services and the Pierce County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).
Partnering to increase vaccine access
From left: Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (TPCHD), Acts Pharmacy and Bessler Center
Passionate physician leaders Michele Cannon Bessler, MD, and Rob Bessler, MD, joined forces with MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network and Mary Bridge Children’s Foundation donors in 2023 to pursue a bold vision: Children within our community will be the healthiest in the nation.
Community input and health data informed three strategic priorities:
- Ensuring health starts at birth
- Supporting wellness and illness prevention
- Ensuring children thrive through school participation
Local statistics underscored the urgency: Fewer than half of Pierce County children receive all recommended vaccines by age 3, and respiratory illness is the leading cause of emergency room visits and hospitalizations for regions served by Mary Bridge Children’s.
To build upon existing efforts and close access gaps, the Bessler Center reached out to local partners to bring vaccines directly into neighborhoods and serve as an entry point for accessing the Mary Bridge Children’s Health Network.
Pictured right: Jazel Bautista, RPh, Acts Pharmacy, is a foundational partner.
“It was just an amazing journey,” says Acts Pharmacy owner-pharmacist Jazel Bautista, RPh. “We were able to really use our resources well, because there was a collaboration among Bessler, us, TPCHD, MRC and the community sponsors.”
In one year, the partnership delivered 1,376 cumulative vaccines, preparing children for school and protecting kids like Winifred — and adults like Ashley — from respiratory illness.
“The Bessler Center and partners were fantastic,” Ashley says, reflecting on her daughter’s experience. “They were able to step up and help when we weren’t able to find anybody else. We know this year we’re going to seek them out right away.”
Answering the call
Anne Tu, MSN, RN, TPCHD, worked with the Bessler Center to ensure back-to-school vaccine events continued.
Vaccination clinics held in community and learning centers make access easier — especially for families without reliable transportation, a regular health care provider or health insurance. Last year, 40 percent of individuals vaccinated at the neighborhood clinics were covered by Medicaid and 30 percent were uninsured.
Knowing how many Pierce County caregivers rely on options like back-to-school vaccine events, the TPCHD immediately called the Bessler Center when unexpected vaccine funding cuts threatened to upend planned drives just days before they were scheduled.
The announcement came on a Friday, and by Tuesday, the Bessler Center had mobilized to have a Memorandum of Understanding in place ahead of the next-day clinic.
“We were able to reach out to the Bessler Center to see if they would be able to help support these vaccine clinics, so they can go on as planned in any way possible,” explains Anne Tu, MSN, RN, a public health nurse who handles immunization and provider engagement at TPCHD. “They were able to figure it out for us; there was no delay. We didn’t have to cancel any appointments, so there were no hiccups there. All the kids were able to get their vaccines, and all the vaccine clinics that were scheduled went on as planned, so that was really great.
“They made it work in a short turnaround time, and we really appreciate their support,” she continues.
Less traumatic vaccinations
Bessler Center’s Chris Ladish, PhD, offers a prize post-poke.
Location also matters for how a child experiences care. Familiar spaces like schools and community centers can help reduce anxiety around injections.
“The kids are more comfortable if they see the school setting compared with that barrier of fear going to the doctor’s office,” Bautista says. “They would see familiar faces, teachers, school nurses.”
And having a pediatric psychologist on-site, like Bessler Center Assistant Vice President Chris Ladish, PhD, can help frightened children by teaching coping skills, using distraction techniques and reframing fear in the moment.
“There was one kid … he was just really scared, and then Dr. Ladish just talked to the kid, putting her psychology hat on,” Bautista shares. “How she talked to the kid — it was amazing. Being there and listening, kids, parents see if you’re genuine.”
Winifred also usually struggles with shots. But after the vaccination team met her where she was, she left Franklin Pierce High School all smiles.
“We had — I think it was — four ladies that were helping us, because my daughter, I forewarned them, does not do well with shots,” Ashley remembers. “And it was the best she had ever done so far. Everybody just came together to help out, to make it nice and calm.
“They put my mind at ease and were able to crack my daughter, and that just means so much,” she continues.
Beyond the walls of Mary Bridge Children’s
Today, the Bessler Center, Acts Pharmacy and Pierce County MRC continue their community-first approach with recurring, static vaccination clinics at the Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center in Tacoma.
The next clinic is Monday, Aug. 17, and the full schedule is available online. Upcoming clinics will include additional health and support services to better serve families.
The Bessler Center’s work of keeping children healthy beyond the hospital’s walls is buoyed by philanthropic investment through Mary Bridge Children’s Foundation.
“Investing in the Bessler Center helps to ensure that the work that they are doing in the community continues, and also to have the ability or capacity to support future work, as well — focusing on the prevention and access to care that kids and families may need to stay healthy,” Tu explains. “I think it also gives them the ability to strengthen their partnerships. And they can address critical gaps in care year to year.”
Connect health care and community services where children play, learn and grow
