Journeys in Film is proud to be part of the American Heart Association (AHA) International Stroke Conference 2025, in collaboration with AHA Bernard J. Tyson Office of Health and AHA Creative Studios.
Journeys Executive Director Jennifer Fischer moderated a panel discussing rural healthcare, following a screening of the short documentary “Health Wanted: Finding Care in Rural America”. The panel was introduced by Gerald Johnson, EVP, Bernard J. Tyson Office of Health and Chief Culture Officer, and Crystal King, National Vice President, Creative & Design, AHA Creative Studios. The panel featured Gerald Johnson; Andrea Ooten, AHA Executive Director for Central and Eastern Kentucky; Jill Birnbaum, AHA National Senior Vice President of Field Advocacy; and Alice Benjamin, also known as Nurse Alice, a cardiac clinical nurse specialist and family nurse practitioner.
Journeys in Film has been a proud partner with the American Heart Association for nearly four years, collaborating on virtual events for American Heart Association staff that use film for team building and to foster dialogue and build understanding around various topics and issues.
In 2025, Journeys in Film created discussion guides for the AHA Health Wanted: Finding Care in Rural America docuseries.
The Journeys in Film partnership with the American Heart Association is one of many health-related educational projects that Journeys in Film has been involved with. Other recent projects include:
- A Towering Task, which includes a collegiate-level resources for teaching about health disparity and health gradients as well as collegiate-level resources for Public Health education;
- Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, which explores disability, ableism, and disability justice;
- From the Ashes, which explores coal and public health;
- Greener Pastures, about the rural mental health care crisis;
- Matter of Mind: My Parkinson’s, in partnership with Indie Lens Pop-Up and PBS Independent Lens, about Parkinson’s Disease;
- The Invisible Shield, in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Radical Media, about heroes of the public health system;
- Unzipped: An Autopsy of American Inequality, which explores homelessness, poverty and social determinants of health.
If you are a filmmaker or healthcare organization who wants to explore the educational and outreach potential of film, please get in touch. We’d love to talk with you about partnering to increase the social impact of your project.
About Health Wanted: Finding Care in Rural America
“Health Wanted: Finding Care in Rural America” is an original video docuseries created by AHA Creative Studios. The six-part series leverages storytelling to focus on unique health challenges and barriers in rural communities. The series uses first-person, on-location documentary-style storytelling — focused from Alaska to Appalachia — to highlight real world obstacles to the successful prevention and treatment of heart disease, treatment of mental health concerns, and reduction of maternal health mortality rates in rural America. The series also focuses on the specific challenges faced by understaffed rural hospitals and health clinics while highlighting struggling yet innovative efforts to promote better health outcomes, primarily through local community engagement and improved local systems of care. You can watch Health Wanted: Finding Care in Rural America for free on YouTube. Community discussion guides that amplify these documentaries and support community engagement with the series can be found through American Heart Association: The Road to Rural Health.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for a century. During 2024 – their Centennial year – they are celebrating their rich 100-year history and accomplishments. As they forge ahead into their second century of bold discovery and impact, their vision is to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere.
About Journeys in Film
Journeys in Film amplifies the storytelling power of film to promote a richer understanding of our diverse and complex world. Since 2003, Journeys in Film has pioneered the use of film for interdisciplinary lessons in the classroom. We also develop discussion guides for films for powerful films designed to work in multiple settings, such as classroom discussions, after-school clubs, community outreach, higher education and adult education, professional organizations and more. All of the Journeys in Film educational resources are cost-free. Learn more about partnering with Journeys in Film. To donate to support our work in creating and distributing free educational resources, please visit https://journeysinfilm.org/product/donation/.
