Veritas Collaborative Partners With Project HEAL to Make Large-Scale Commitment to Equitable Eating Disorder Treatment Access in Atlanta

Georgia-based treatment center to donate free residential treatment to 12 low-income community members through nonprofit Project HEAL

ATLANTA, Sept. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Veritas Collaborative, a specialty healthcare system for the treatment of eating disorders, and Project HEAL, the only major direct service nonprofit in the U.S. focused on equitable healthcare access for people with eating disorders, announced a new partnership designed to increase access to eating disorder treatment for individuals who are currently underrepresented in eating disorder treatment – particularly those who are low-income, underinsured, or marginalized.

Veritas Collaborative has historically focused their charitable care efforts on individuals whose insurance prematurely cuts off during a treatment stay, but this partnership with Project HEAL enables Veritas Collaborative to expand those efforts and provide charitable care to individuals who are otherwise unable to admit to their facility due to prohibitive insurance, financial, and systemic barriers.

As part of this partnership, Veritas Collaborative will be providing 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. 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.” said Jillian Lampert, Chief Strategy Officer for Accanto Health, Veritas Collaborative’s parent company.

“Project HEAL’s work is not possible without the values-aligned partnership of treatment providers like Veritas Collaborative. 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,” said Rebecca Eyre, CEO of Project HEAL.

Veritas Collaborative’s Atlanta location 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. Project HEAL is 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.

About Veritas Collaborative
Veritas Collaborative is a specialty healthcare system for the treatment of eating disorders. Veritas Collaborative provides a range of individualized, evidence-based services for ages 8 and older, including inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient levels of care in a gender-diverse and inclusive environment. Veritas Collaborative envisions a world in which all persons with eating disorders and their families have access to best-practice care and hold hope for a cure. Our multidisciplinary team of treatment professionals includes physicians, psychiatrists, dietitians, therapists, nurses, teachers, culinary team members, and therapeutic assistants. Learn more at www.veritascollaborative.com.

About Project HEAL
Project HEAL is the leading nonprofit in the U.S. focused on equitable access to eating disorder treatment. Founded in 2008, Project HEAL offers direct services to eating disorder sufferers who are unable to access treatment – including free assessment, free treatment, free insurance navigation support, and cash assistance – in addition to their research, advocacy, and community education efforts. Project HEAL’s mission is to break down systemic, healthcare, and financial barriers to eating disorder healing, and our vision is that everyone with an eating disorder has the resources and opportunities they need to heal. Learn more at www.theprojectheal.org.

Contact: newsroom@accanto.com or Jillian Lampert, Chief Strategy Officer, 651.428.4654