Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, a University of Rochester alumna, has significantly influenced medical storytelling as an advisor for the HBO Max series "The Pitt."
Owusu-Ansah serves as medical director for prehospital and emergency medical services at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. She joined the show through Hollywood, Health & Society, a University of Southern California program focused on health accuracy in entertainment.
Contributions to "The Pitt"
Owusu-Ansah advocated for the inclusion of the Freedom House Ambulance Service in the show's narrative. This initiative, founded in 1967 in Pittsburgh, trained 25 Black men as the country's first paramedics, leading to advancements in emergency medicine. Following an episode featuring this history, public awareness increased, contributing to bipartisan support for a bill to award Freedom House the Congressional Gold Medal.
She also raised awareness about the underrepresentation of Black physicians in medical dramas and the increasing number of children ingesting THC. Her personal experience of intervening during a sickle cell pain crisis involving a Black teenager, who was initially misidentified in an emergency department, inspired a storyline in the series.
For the second season, Owusu-Ansah assisted in developing a story about an abandoned infant, providing insights into Pennsylvania's Safe Haven law.
Background and Advocacy
Owusu-Ansah holds a biochemistry degree from the University of Rochester, an MD from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and an MPH from Johns Hopkins University.
She founded Kids for College at URochester, a mentorship program for underserved students. She also spent over a decade advocating for pediatric healthcare legislation on Capitol Hill.
Recent Activities and Impact
After completing chemotherapy as a cancer survivor, Owusu-Ansah has shifted focus from direct emergency department work. She directed a short film titled "In Good Hands," which was a finalist for an HBO Short Film Award and has screened at the American Black Film Festival and on American Airlines.
Owusu-Ansah believes that media provides a platform to reach millions, expanding her impact beyond individual patient care.