50 Most Influential Clinical Executives - 2021

Bessel helped drive key collaborations between providers and with government officials throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, she led the formation of a statewide collaborative of chief clinical officers in Arizona to find ways of working together to deal with patient surges. This ultimately resulted in the state creating the Arizona Surge Line, a 24/7 service to help manage patient flow. Bessel partnered with the Banner Innovation Group to develop partnerships with other businesses, including Coca-Cola, to make face shields and reusable sterile gowns and she is a key leader in forming the Wellbeing Collaborative, a partnership that works nationally to address clinician burnout.