S7 EP3 Caregiver, The Voice of a Chaplain

Wendy talks with Chaplain Anne Kesner from The Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters about the beautiful experiences and connectiveness around caregiving.

Anne West Kesner MA, BCC, CT  

Anne West Kesner is an ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church and currently serves as a Pediatric Chaplain at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. She is unashamedly outgoing and loves people, dogs, and of course, hip-hop music. She lives with her husband of 12 years, 6-year-old son and their sweet rescue pit mix and chickens.   

Anne began her career in chaplaincy 13 years ago, and has since loved working in the pediatric setting.  She received her Master of Arts with a concentration in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2011. She completed her Clinical Pastoral Education training through Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, and Bon Secours Hospital and is certified by the Association of Professional Chaplaincy as a Board Certified Chaplain. In 2016, Anne completed her certification in thanatology (death, dying and bereavement) after feeling a calling and dedication to advocating for children and families experiencing death and/or life-limiting diagnoses. At Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, she specializes as the Chaplain for the Palliative Care clinic, Child Advocacy Center, hospital bereavement needs and outreach, and serving as the Family/Staff Support Coordinator to provide ongoing training and support to staff and families.  

Currently, Anne is enrolled at Vanderbilt Divinity School studying Integrative Chaplaincy with a focus on mental health integration. She is looking forward to weaving her love of chaplaincy with mental health initiatives and studies as well as a bereavement focus.