The First Wave (National Geographic, 2021)
Won 3 News and Documentary Emmy® Awards, including Best Documentary
A testament to the strength of the human spirit.
With exclusive access inside one of New York City’s hardest-hit hospital systems during the terrifying first four months of the pandemic, The First Wave spotlights the everyday heroes at the epicenter of COVID-19.
Focusing on the problem of healthcare workers’ neglected mental healthcare, the campaign helped state medical boards reform licensure applications and supported the passage of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, funding programs to prevent suicide and burnout for healthcare providers.
Campaign Results
The campaign supported passage of the first-of-its-kind law supporting the healthcare workforce, secured major coverage for the film and impact partners – including in Fortune and with a special ABC collaboration – and helped dozens of state medical boards to reform licensure applications. Dr. Dougé, a featured subject of the film, joined the Board of the Lorna Breen Foundation and continues to work with them to drive awareness, funding, and policy change for healthcare workers.
Press & Impact Awards
Awards: Anthem Awards 2023, Gold, Health – Partnership or Collaboration, Community Engagement
Digital Content Produced
Instagram Live social media conversation featuring Amy Schumer, Matthew Heineman and Dr. Dougé, and raised funds for the Dr. Lorna Breen Foundation.
Meet Corey Feist, a short-form video of the work of the foundation to advocate for healthcare workers’ mental health.
A short-form content web series titled “Pass The Mic” amplified the voices of healthcare workers and educated audiences on the hidden mental health crisis of the pandemic.
We created an embedded advocacy action tool on our partner’s sites resulted in over 10k+ emails urging state officials to remove barriers to mental health care from licensing.
In-person events and social content encouraged viewers to send their gratitude to our healthcare workers.