Publicis Sapient, a digital business transformation company, today announced the launch of the short documentary ‘Doc Albany,’ which explores the healthcare challenges faced by communities with limited access to healthcare resources, including rural Americans. Directed by two-time Academy Award®-winning director Ben Proudfoot (The Queen of Basketball and The Last Repair Shop) and his company, Breakwater Studios, the film is set to make its world premiere at this year’s Tribeca Festival.
Over 70 million people in underserved communities in the U.S. lack access to regular medical care. ‘Doc Albany’ provides an intimate look at the significant barriers Americans face in accessing essential healthcare services and the importance of structural changes required to ensure healthcare access for all, regardless of geography. The film, set in rural Georgia, tells its story through the perspective of Dr. Jim Hotz, who founded Albany Area Primary Health Care (AAPHC), a community health center with 21 clinical sites serving over 36,000 rural patients in Southwest Georgia, and Dr. Sheena Favors, an OB-GYN at the health center. Both Dr. Hotz, who was the inspiration for the 1991 Michael J. Fox film ‘Doc Hollywood,’ and Dr. Favors have witnessed the profound implications of healthcare disparities found within marginalized populations. They have also experienced the benefits of a digital system developed by Publicis Sapient for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which helps place healthcare professionals in underserved areas across the country that face shortages.
“As a purpose-driven organization with a long history of transforming established businesses, we believe technology can have a positive and powerful impact on people’s lives,” said Nigel Vaz, CEO of Publicis Sapient. “Healthcare affects all of us. ‘Doc Albany’ showcases how our work with HRSA is inspiring change within the system and helping offer healthcare access for all.”
‘Doc Albany’ is the third film in a three-part short film series, known as Impact Films, led by Publicis Sapient’s Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Teresa Barreira. Through gripping storytelling and a differentiated non-branding approach to documentaries, Impact Films brings to life the incredible power of digital business transformation and the profound impact it can have on major societal issues, through stories told by a person whose life has been positively impacted by technology. ‘Doc Albany’ follows the releases of short films ‘Forgiving Johnny’ and ‘Never Done.’
“Doc Albany’ offers a candid look at the challenges many Americans face in accessing quality healthcare,” said Teresa Barreira, Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Publicis Sapient. “With this short film, we’re striving to put a human face on digital business transformation because behind every system and screen is a real person, with real needs. Thanks to our collaboration with HRSA, we’re helping drive meaningful change through innovative and impactful digital systems. We hope this film inspires healthcare professionals and gives hope to those navigating today’s healthcare landscape.”
“When 77% of rural counties in the United States are medical deserts, doctors like Dr. Jim Hotz and Dr. Sheena Favors, who save and transform lives on a daily basis in Albany, Georgia, are real life heroes worth celebrating,” said two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker and entrepreneur Ben Proudfoot. “I am thrilled that their story will reach audiences in Manhattan, which has 11 hospitals in 23 square miles, at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. As Dr. Favors asserts in the film, ‘You shouldn’t have to live in New York City to be healthy!’”
Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) loan repayment and scholarship programs help bring doctors and nurses into high-need communities by repaying their student loans in exchange for their service. However, outdated systems and manual processes once made it difficult to scale, track impact, and respond quickly to public health emergencies. Over several years, Publicis Sapient has helped HRSA transform digitally by bring efficiencies and scale to their operations and modernizing them to better align with their mission of improving health in high-need areas. As part of its work, Publicis Sapient replaced a 35-year-old mainframe system, leading to triple processing capacity and saving millions, and it implemented a data management program to gain critical insights for better strategic investments and data-driven policies.
‘Doc Albany’ will make its world premiere at Tribeca Festival on Sunday, June 8, 2:30pm at Shorts Theater at Spring Studios in New York.
