Among the takeaways that emerged from the webinar discussion about the physical and mental toll on healthcare workers was the fact that the pandemic didn't necessarily cause the crisis, but it did stoke fuel on an already burning fire.
The Feb. 9 event presented by Hollywood, Health & Society, “Clinicians in Crisis: Healthcare Workers Are Suffering; TV Stories Can Help,” featured the following speakers:
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on health care professionals and family caregivers, who have continued to provide treatment and support while balancing their own personal risk of infection and fear of transmission to family members.
Our Fall 2021 newsletter highlighted mental health, beginning with two of the honorees for the Sentinel Awards. There's also Goober the Clown on "clown abortions"; transforming caregiving for older adults; two sisters who take different paths when faced with breast cancer risk; and a future with slaughterbots.
Our May 6 panel "The Black Birth Experience: Challenges, Joys and Justice" brought experts and TV writers together over the topic of why Black women are more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth than women in any other race group.
This heightened risk of pregnancy-related death spans income and education levels (think Serena Williams or Beyonce), and the discussion explored the causes of these maternal health discrepancies, along with how TV depictions of the issue can help.
The edition highlights include "The Countdown," our storytelling event from the world of nuclear threats; how TV and telemedicine can make a difference in abortion care; being a protector can help save lives during COVID-19; and the pandemic's mental health impact
Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death for all Americans (and the second leading cause of death for those between 15 and 34). People struggle with the symptoms and disabilities, and are challenged by the stigma that results from misconceptions about mental illness.
Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S), in partnership with the Writers Guild of America, presented a timely series of online conversations on topics related to the pandemic, bringing together storytellers and experts. The popular series of evening webinars, held every Tuesday, covered topics in the age of COVID-19 such as addiction, Black maternal health, criminal justice, older adults and caregiving, mental health, reproductive rights, and lupus and hydroxychloroquine.
The latest newsletter showcases our work—with panel discussions on racism and childbirth, addiction and mental illness; a briefing with Mindy Kaling's creative team for a new Netflix show; interviews about reproductive rights and nuclear risk; "Better With Age" at the ATX Television Festival, and so much more!
Screenwriter John August ("Aladdin") moderated a panel discussion on how Hollywood can help change the narrative about drug addiction and mental health. At one point, he asked the speakers on stage to recount something they had seen in a film or on TV that they didn’t want to see anymore.