Racial disparities in the US continue to negatively impact healthcare access and outcomes—and nearly 20% of all Black women report unfair treatment in healthcare settings due to race or ethnicity, according to KFF.
This perceived lack of fair treatment can, in turn, lead to higher rates of avoiding care. Black women also experience worse health outcomes compared to other women, like higher mortality rates linked to breast cancer and childbirth.
That’s why, in 2018, Ashlee Wisdom founded Health In Her HUE, which stands for “heard and understood experiences,” a company that helps connect Black women and other women of color with providers and information about their healthcare.
“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,” Wisdom, who is also the startup’s CEO, told Healthcare Brew.
Connections. The company operates under what Wisdom calls the “three C’s” of connections, content, and community.
“Connections” refers to the company’s provider directory, which is a list of clinicians who share similar racial and ethnic backgrounds with the patients, as well as providers from other backgrounds who have a “dedication and a commitment to providing safe and affirming care to Black women and women of color,” Wisdom said.
Providers opt in to list their information and credentials on the directory, and Health In Her HUE members can leave reviews about clinicians on the platform.
The directory is meant to increase patients’ level of comfort and quality of care in the clinic. Black women with providers who share their racial or ethnic background have better experiences, KFF reported last year.
KFF found 90% of patients who had more than half their healthcare visits with a provider of the same race or ethnicity reported that the clinician “explained things in a way they could understand,” compared with 82% of patients who had less than half their visits with a provider of the same race or ethnicity.
“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,” Wisdom said.
Black women, for example, are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cancer.
The company has over 3,000 providers in the directory across 60 specialities, including cardiology, dentistry, and psychology, Wisdom said, which allows patients to filter providers based on location, need, insurance, and other factors. Its biggest concentrations of providers and members are currently in New York, Texas, California, Florida, and Georgia.
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“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,” she said.
Content. Under the “content” pillar, the company built a website to provide members with reliable healthcare information and operates a digital library that offers articles and videos on topics from chronic diseases to mental health and pregnancy.
“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 said.
The website also has a section called Carepoint, where the company receives questions from members, and clinicians, who are predominantly women of color, answer the inquiries in short videos.
“It’s kind of like a medically vetted TikTok, if you will,” Wisdom said.
Community. The “community” component on the site consists of forums where patients can connect with others experiencing similar medical challenges.
Health In Her HUE also has what it calls the Care Squad program—virtual, four-month-long peer support groups focused on one health condition for cohorts of six to eight women. Each Care Squad has a curriculum designed by a board certified physician who specializes in their shared condition.
“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.
The rundown. Founded and based in New York City, Health In Her HUE raised $3 million in funding in a seed round last year and has raised $4 million overall, according to data platform Crunchbase. The company currently has eight employees, Wisdom said.
Nearly 15,000 members use the platform at no cost, and the company generates revenue by partnering with health plans, consumer health companies, and pharmaceutical companies, she said.
Going forward, Wisdom said she hopes to expand the site to address more areas of care and widen its reach through additional partnerships with different brands and digital health plans.
The company announced in January a partnership with Black Girl Vitamins, a wellness brand dedicated to Black women’s health. Thanks to the collaboration, Health In Her HUE members get access to discounted supplements.
“I really want Health In Her HUE to be the one-stop shop when it comes to women of color making decisions for their health,” Wisdom said.