New online initiative will educate people about health inequities, amplify marginalized voices, and empower people to create real change in their own lives and communities
SAN FRANCISCO – JULY 7, 2021 – Healthline Media has launched TRANSFORM: Health Equity, an ambitious initiative designed to educate people about inequities in the U.S. healthcare system, amplify marginalized voices, and empower people to take actions that create a world where all people can achieve their health and wellness goals.
The project was launched in partnership with sister site Psych Central, which was recently relaunched and will contribute content focused on equity in mental health. Psych Central is building health equity into its DNA from the start through its focus on the mental health of marginalized populations.
TRANSFORM: Health Equity is now live at transform.healthline.com.
"Quite a bit has changed in the 25 years since Psych Central launched,” said Faye McCray, Editor in Chief of Psych Central. “We know language matters in destigmatizing and examining mental health. We also know issues of mental health and wellness impact us all differently. In order to get it right, we must examine these issues through an awareness of intersectionality. I couldn't be more thrilled to launch with our commitment to health equity leading our work."
“At Healthline, our mission has always been to make the world a stronger and healthier place for everybody, but we can’t do that without acknowledging the very real barriers many people face in accessing basic care,” added Erin Petersen-Edge, Editor in Chief of Healthline. “I’m excited to work with our colleagues at Psych Central to amplify these important conversations and to inspire meaningful actions—both within our organization and beyond.”
Sparking change through education and conversation
An overwhelming majority of Americans (71%) agree that historically excluded communities in the U.S. face greater hardships when it comes to accessing healthcare according to a survey conducted by Healthline Media using a nationally representative sample in April, 2021. TRANSFORM: Health Equity was created to amplify the voices of those marginalized by today’s health system—whether by socioeconomics, racism, sexism, ableism, cissexism, or hetrosexism—and inspire others to take meaningful action.
The project is organized around four pillars:
Access to healthcare: Not everyone receives the quality of care they deserve due to a variety of reasons, including socioeconomic, geographical and cultural factors, including racism.
Conscious language: Words matter. It’s important to strive for inclusive language to give everyone a chance to represent themselves authentically—in their health journey and in society.
Equity of inputs: A closer look at the state of equity and representation within research and clinical trials and why it matters.
Impact of marginalization: Treating people as insignificant, unimportant or “other” affects their physical, mental and emotional health.
Visitors to the site will find personal stories, live events and innovative new tools for inspiring education, advocacy and action, along with resources they can use to advocate for themselves in healthcare settings. Readers will also find a search tool, powered by VolunteerMatch, they can use to find local volunteer opportunities to fight health inequities in their communities.
“We believe all people should have the opportunity to live their healthiest lives,” said Isabella De Soriano, Public Health Integrity Manager, Medical Affairs, Healthline Media. “Good health is about more than treating conditions. It’s about access to care, reducing stigma, using conscious language, addressing mental health, and acknowledging systemic inadequacies. That’s what we’re trying to do with TRANSFORM: Health Equity.”
About Healthline Media
San Francisco-based Healthline Media’s mission is to support the everyday journey to lifelong well-being through exceptional services that power healthy actions. The company is the world’s leading digital health publisher with its brands Healthline.com and MedicalNewsToday.com ranked #1 and #4 by Comscore, respectively, and Greatist.com and PsychCentral.com. Each month Healthline Media publishes more than 1,000 evidence-based, medically-accurate articles and videos produced by more than 120 writers and reviewed by more than 100 doctors, clinicians, dietitians, and other experts. The company’s repository contains more than 70,000 articles and videos, each updated with current protocols. More than 250 million people worldwide and 85 million people in the U.S. visit Healthline’s sites each month, according to data from Google Analytics and Comscore, respectively. Healthline Media is owned by Red Ventures.
Media Contact:
Stacey Grimsrud
Bospar Public Relations
Stacey@bospar.com
415.271.1028