Veritas Partners with Project HEAL to Increase Access to Eating Disorder Treatment in Georgia

Veritas Collaborative’s new partnership with Project HEAL was announced at Accanto Health’s 2022 Symposium in Atlanta, GA. Pictured from left to right: Jillian Lampert, Accanto Health Chief Strategy Officer; Rebecca Eyre, Project HEAL CEO; Dave Willcutts, Accanto Health CEO; Liz McCabe, Accanto Health Chief Clinical Officer

We’re excited to share that we’ve partnered with Project HEAL to help increase access to care for individuals currently underrepresented in eating disorder treatment—particularly those who are low-income, underinsured, or marginalized. 

Our charitable care efforts have historically focused on individuals whose insurance prematurely cuts off during a treatment stay. This partnership allows us to expand these efforts to provide charitable care to individuals who are otherwise unable to admit to care due to prohibitive insurance, financial, and systemic barriers.

As part of this partnership, Veritas will provide free residential treatment to at least 12 Project HEAL beneficiaries per year who are low-income or facing extenuating financial circumstances, experiencing medical or social discrimination related to their identity or appearance, or don’t currently have quality eating disorder treatment options through an insurance provider.

“We are excited and honored to partner with Project HEAL,” said Jillian Lampert, Chief Strategy Officer for Accanto Health, Veritas Collaborative’s parent company. “Through this partnership, Veritas Collaborative can continue to uphold our mission of providing individuals struggling with eating disorders and their loved ones the most effective treatment possible, and the greatest chance of success.”

Project HEAL is the country’s only major direct service nonprofit focused on equitable healthcare access for people with eating disorders. “[Its] work is not possible without the values-aligned partnership of treatment providers like Veritas Collaborative,” said Rebecca Eyre, Project HEAL CEO. “We are so grateful for Veritas Collaborative’s commitment to help more people get in the door and have a legitimate opportunity to heal. We hope this is the start of a cascade of treatment centers making similarly substantive commitments to equitable access to care.”

Veritas Collaborative’s Atlanta Hospital and Center provides multidisciplinary care for children, adolescents, and young adults up to age 24 impacted by eating disorders, and it is the first of its kind in Georgia and surrounding states.

Of the 30 million Americans who will be diagnosed with an eating disorder in their lifetime, less than 20% will access treatment. The reasons for this are complex, but a vast majority are related to systemic, healthcare, and financial barriers. We’re thrilled to collaborate with organizations like Project HEAL who are on a mission to change this, breaking down barriers to eating disorder treatment one patient at a time so that recovery is accessible for all. With one person dying of an eating disorder in the U.S. every 52 minutes, we cannot afford to deny care to anyone who is ready and willing to heal.