Meet Jessie Shay | Executive Director of Chronically Informed

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessie Shay and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessie, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Chronically Informed (https://www.chronicallyinformed.org) is an innovative and effective tool for patients and their caregivers as they navigate the complexities of the American healthcare system.

The objectives of our program are to:
-Create hope for chronically ill patients
-Foster patient-provider partnerships
-Expand healthcare access and empower patients through shared experiences navigating the medical system

Access to healthcare is inequitable in the United States. Due to this inequity, patients have an extraordinarily difficult time navigating the medical system, and they struggle to partner in care with their providers. More than 60% of Coloradans live with a chronic health condition. In 2023, approximately 12% of Coloradans could not afford to see a doctor and approximately 27% of Coloradans had not had a routine check-up in the last year, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. When people do not know how to use the medical system, they cannot access the care they need.

We provide the following to address this issue:
-Videos co-created by patients that share practical techniques and stories of success navigating the medical system
-Resources vetted by patients
-Community built through storytelling

So much of living with a chronic illness is outside of the patient’s control. When chronic illness patients repeatedly run into obstacles accessing quality healthcare, three primary challenges develop:
-They feel powerless and that it is impossible to improve their future experiences
-They lose motivation to take action that could result in better healthcare outcomes.
-They can have trouble learning and accepting that a successful outcome is even possible.

Hope is the beginning of everything we do. By creating hope, we move patients from a place of feeling like outcomes are out of their control to a place where they can learn from others and take action.

We create hope by:
-Empowering patients by showing others have successfully navigated the medical system
-Inspiring patients to use those techniques themselves

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been a Social Worker since 2012 when I graduated from the University of Denver with my Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, but it wasn’t until I went back to school to earn my Doctor of Social Work (DSW) at the University of Southern California that I really found my life’s work.

I started the DSW program in 2021 and was immediately reminded of how much I love to learn, but in the first year of the program, I was hospitalized twice due to chronic health conditions. This experience was jarring, and it led me to begin my research into the experience of chronic illness patients. I found that many patients struggle to navigate the medical system and have difficulty partnering with their providers. I wanted to help create systemic solutions to the problems that patients with chronic illness face so that people like me did not have to struggle to get the care they need. I focused on this research for the majority of the rest of the program, and it led to my DSW Capstone Project, Chronically Informed.

Chronically Informed, which is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is constituent-led and has been guided by patient, advocate, and provider feedback from the beginning. The people who are most impacted by the problem have led the solution every step of the way. The work is focused on creating systemic change for and by patients and those who support them.

Through this process, I have felt seen by other patients in a way that I never have before. The generosity and kindness of the patients who make videos for the project is immense, and it has changed the way I view living with a chronic health condition. I always thought I was creating something that would help others. It turned out it was just what I needed, too.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Aurora, which is a suburb of Denver. Aurora is the most diverse city in Colorado, and we are made up of strong, kind, amazing people. It’s hard to narrow down our city to just a few suggestions!

I love Stanley Marketplace, which includes amazing restaurants serving up breakfast (Denver Biscuit Company), coffee (Logan House Coffee), and lunch/dinner (Annette).

If you’re looking for the best food in the city, I would definitely check out:

-Banh & Butter Bakery Cafe for the amazing baked goods. They have everything from breakfast to dessert, and I’ve truly loved everything I’ve ever had there.

-Nile Ethiopian Restaurant for a variety of Ethiopian dishes.

-Lucy Coffee House for delicious coffee and a great vibe.

-Old Town Hot Pot for a fun, interactive meal.

-Golden Saigon Restaurant for the best Vietnamese anywhere.

Outside of restaurants, we are so lucky to be near a ton of great activities in the Denver Metro area, including the Botanic Gardens, Red Rocks, and the Denver Center for the performing arts.

If I’m going to enjoy a calm afternoon with friends or attempt to win some trivia, I love hanging out at Lady Justice Brewing!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The patients who volunteer to make videos for our project are the heart of everything we do at Chronically Informed. Without them, we would not be able to support patients with the resources they need. Their dedication and willingness to share their stories to make the lives of others easier is an amazing gift to the chronic illness community, and the general patient population as well. Research shows that patients want to learn from other patients, and the people who give their time to tell their stories of success and practical techniques for navigating the medical system are providing the support that others directly request. They are what makes Chronically Informed innovative and successful!

Website: https://www.chronicallyinformed.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chronically.informed

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-shay/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChronicallyInformedFB/