Student Spotlight: DSW Alum Builds Capstone Project into Health Equity Nonprofit

Shay is also the Founder of Creating Agency, a consulting firm in the Denver Metro area that provides executive-level guidance and innovative solutions to mission-driven organizations. Shay started her consultancy a few years after she finished her Master of Social Work at the University of Denver. “It was a way for me to use my macro knowledge to strengthen mission-driven initiatives and drive meaningful community impact for Denver-based organizations.”

Focusing on Macro-Level Social Work to Build Community

Shay discovered macro-level social work during her MSW. “[Macro social work] allows social workers to use the values and ethics of our profession to solve societal problems that impact large groups of people,” she shared. Wanting to continue her community-focused work and implement what ultimately became her capstone project, Shay searched for DSW programs that would focus on macro-level social work and allow her to balance attending school full-time while working. “USC’s DSW program is one of the few programs in the country that focuses on macro social work practice. It offered me the opportunity to create a meaningful project that could lead to new career opportunities, and I knew from the start that I wanted the time and effort I put into it to mean something when I finished,” Shay shared.

Shay built a strong community with her peers during the program. She credits her colleagues as “being a huge part of my success in the program.” She said, “It was inspiring…to work with so many other people who are committed to improving the world around them, and [it] helped keep me going when things felt challenging.”

The capstone project was Shay’s favorite part of the program. “I learned so much about how to pivot when something is not working. I took every chance to improve and build a community solution that was viable.” Shay emphasized that running a small nonprofit can be challenging, but “the DSW program taught me that if something is not working, the next step is to try something new.” Through iteration with her professors, fellow students, and her own research, Shay was able to successfully test and meet patient needs with Chronically Informed.

Using Personal Experience to Drive Her Mission

Shay’s personal experience as an individual who lives with chronic illness motivated her to launch Chronically Informed. She said, “It was clear to me that, as a group, people who live with chronic health conditions face similar obstacles when it comes to navigating the medical system. There is a thread of common experiences that we all have, and that means that a tool like Chronically Informed can help lots of different people with differing chronic conditions.”

In her capstone research, Shay found that patients with chronic health conditions struggle to navigate the medical system and partner with providers. “Access to health care is inequitable in the United States,” she said. “Due to this inequity, patients have an extraordinarily difficult time navigating the medical system, and they struggle to partner in care with their providers.” Data in Colorado finds that more than 60% of people in the state live with a chronic health condition¹. 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 Environment². “When people do not know how to use the medical system, they cannot access the care they need.”

Creating Hope Through Storytelling and Shared Resources

Chronically Informed combats these inequities through hope, community building, and shared resources. The organization is “an innovative tool that focuses on health equity, creating hope, helping patients and providers partner in care, and improving health outcomes.” Aiming to create community through storytelling, Shay and her team co-create and share curated lists of resources vetted by patients, such as blog posts on navigating health insurance, pharmacies, and working with providers as well as other supportive organizations that patients can trust. They also develop videos featuring practical techniques and success stories. “So much of living with a chronic illness is outside of the patient’s control,” Shay shared. “By creating hope, we empower patients… [to] learn from others and take action.”

Chronically Informed now has an advisory board of eight community members who are dedicated to the work of inspiring and empowering chronically ill patients and their caregivers. One of the advisory board members is a close friend of Shay’s from the DSW program. “She believed in Chronically Informed so much. The relationship we built [during the program] has lasted, and I’m so grateful for that,” Shay said. The organization has found a strong sense of support from the community as well. Shay encourages anyone interested to visit their website and consider donating or making a video for the project.