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Welcome to the Heroes Health Initiative

Heroes Health is a free mobile application from the UNC School of Medicine that allows healthcare workers and first responders to track their mental health and access mental health resources. We invite healthcare workers and first responders to join independently or through their employers:

Heroes Health empowers workers to care for themselves and each other

Anonymously let your organization know how they’re doing

A screenshot of a question asked during the Heroes Health weekly survey. The question states "I am comfortable with the level of PPE supplies where I work". Healthcare workers can respond with options range from "Strongly agree" to "Strongly disagree," with the option to select "Not applicable.

Track your wellness with a 5-minute set of weekly surveys

A screenshot from the Heroes Health app's weekly mental health summary. The screen is titled "Summary Report: Week of May 17, 2020". Below is a table headed "You reported that this past week" and with results for Sleep (Fairly Bad), Depressive symptoms (Not completed), Anxiety (None or minimal), Posttraumatic stress (None or mild), and limitations in day-to-day (None or mild). The bottom of the screen contains a disclaimer: "These Heroes Health reports are to help you monitor your symptoms and mental health over time. They should not be interpreted as a diagnosis. If you have concerns about your mental health, contact your health care provider and/or use the resources listed in the resources tab.

Access mental health resources specific to your organization

Screenshot from the "Wellness Resources" page on the Heroes Health app. The page reads: "Thank you for participating in the Heroes Health Initiative. We are grateful for your tireless efforts to support and protect your community, and appreciate the opportunity to support you and your colleagues through these difficult times. During an infectious disease outbreak like COVID-19, it is not uncommon for people to experience feelings of fear, depression, or anxiety. Colleagues and providers are urged to practice self-care and use the confidential support resources below. Please reach out if you need help. If you are in a life-threatening emergency, please call 911. Your Organizations Resources. Employee Assistance Program. Monday-Friday, 8am to 7pm. 123-456-7890.

The COVID-19 crisis poses a threat to healthcare workers’ wellness, from front-line sanitation professionals to outpatient physicians. While the need for mental health care among these heroes is significant, barriers such as stigma, irregular work schedules, and a lack of knowledge regarding available resources lead many to suffer in silence.

By taking 5 minutes to complete weekly surveys, healthcare workers and first responders can track their own wellness throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Heroes Health connects healthcare workers to vetted mental health resources and uses the power of collective data to support the development of new programs tailored to current needs.

When combined, these surveys paint a dynamic picture of the health and needs of the healthcare worker community, allowing for units, healthcare organizations, and policymakers to develop tailored solutions to support our heroes.

Our Mission for Heroes Health

Healthcare workers and first responders are, and always have been, heroes. They brought many of us into this world, cared for us through our weakest moments, and comforted our family members when their final hours drew near. This Initiative was borne out of a determination to give back to the nurses, doctors, EMS, and allied health professionals that make life possible.

A Collaboration between UNC Chapel Hill and Many Others

Heroes Health was designed by a team of researchers from UNC School of Medicine and Cooper University Health Care. The Initiative’s principal investigator, Dr. Samuel McLean, is an Emergency Medical Physician at UNC Health and COVID-19 survivor. He conceived of the idea to connect front-line healthcare workers with existing resources at healthcare organizations during a COVID shift in March 2020.

A team of over 40 researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine, where the Heroes Health app was designed. The team is diverse in gender identities, countries of origin, racial identities, and age. Members of the research team come from many backgrounds and unite for the common goal to improve healthcare outcomes for trauma survivors.

Latest Heroes Health Updates

  • Speech Bubbles with Common COVID-19 Vocabulary

    What Do You Need to Know about the COVID-19 Vaccines?

    January 20, 2021 ● 3 min read By Shivam Bhargava and Emily Bradfield As of January 2021, over twenty-two million COVID-19 cases had been reported in the United States alone, and at least 91 million worldwide; the rollout of a vaccine is a long-awaited reprieve after … Continued

  • Highlighting Healthcare Heroes Part 2: Dr. Aakriti Bhargava and Dr. Sarah Todd

    November 30, 2020 ● 3 min read By Shivam Bhargava and Emily Bradfield It has been over seven months since COVID-19 arrived in the United States, and the pandemic continues to affect the lives of millions of Americans. Some of the most directly … Continued

  • Highlighting Healthcare Heroes: Renee Cherfane, RN

    November 10, 2020 ● 2 min read By Shivam Bhargava and Emily Bradfield It has been over seven months since COVID-19 arrived in the United States, and the pandemic continues to affect the lives of millions of Americans. Some of the most directly … Continued

  • Team members putting their hands together.

    #MoveForMentalHealth

    October 9, 2020 ● 3 min read By Emily Bradfield Wednesday, March 11, 2020. The day of the metaphorical “shot heard round the world”.   On that late-Winter Wednesday, everything seemed to change in an instant. During the afternoon, the World Health … Continued

Heroes Health

You are doing so much for others.
Heroes Health is to support you.

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