According to studies conducted by KFF, almost 20% of Black women have experienced racial disparities while seeking healthcare treatment — a statistic that negatively impacts access and outcomes for women of color. In 2018, Health in Her HUE was founded by Ashlee Wisdom to help Black women receive better healthcare through providers who hear and understand their experiences.
Wisdom says, “Our mission is to leverage the power of technology, media, and community to improve health outcomes for Black women and other women of color, with the ultimate goal of reducing racial health disparities in the United States.”
As reported by Healthcare Brew, HUE was founded in New York City and has raised $4 million since the startup launched.
Currently, 15,000 members use HUE at no cost to themselves. Wisdom has attributed its success to the hard work of her employees and the “three C’s” that the company has founded itself upon: connections, content, and community.
Wisdom explained that “connections” refers to the extensive list of providers organized in an accessible directory. HUE organizes these providers so users can find clinicians who share similar racial and ethnic backgrounds, ensuring that everyone on the directory has a “commitment to providing safe and affirming care to Black women and women of color.”
Wisdom told the outlet that the directory helps to increase patients’ level of comfort in the clinic, improving their quality of care.
The statistics on HUE’s practices match her business model, as KFF reported Black women who share racial backgrounds with their providers have better experiences.
Wisdom described one of the most integral services HUE offers, “If patients are avoiding care, that means that when they do actually go in, it’s likely that their condition is more progressed, which leads to more expensive care and poorer health outcomes, ultimately.”
“We’re making it easier for patients to find providers who they’re more likely to trust and, by virtue of that, are more likely to engage in a preventive way.”
The directory currently includes over 3,000 providers across 60 specialties and can be filtered based on location, need, insurance, and other factors.
Wisdom said the second pillar is “content,” which focuses on including accurate and reliable healthcare resources on the website.
“I’m a firm believer in the power of health literacy and equipping people with information so that they’re better able to manage their own health and engage in shared decision-making with their healthcare providers,” Wisdom stated.
The final pillar is “community,” which is exemplified in HUE site forums, where patients share their individual health experiences to connect with others like them.
“It’s a unique model of combining culturally tailored health education with a peer support community, so women have support and accountability as they’re managing their health,” Wisdom said.
In the future, Wisdom Hopes will expand HUE to widen its reach with more specialty care areas and obtain more brand partnerships to help it achieve its goal.
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