Email Media Pitch: WNEP-TV Healthwatch Segment with Julie Sidoni

Hi Julie,

I saw that you recently covered a story on Zulresso, the first FDA-approved drug

specifically designed to help women experiencing postpartum depression (PPD). As the deadline

for your next Healthwatch segment approaches, you should know that Geisinger is the only

health care system in the area participating in the restricted Zulresso REMS Program –

a program that requires the drug be administered by a health care provider in a certified health

care facility. If you cover this story you will help us reach our community members who suffer

from PPD and inform them of treatment that is right here in their backyard.

The CDC reports about one in eight women experience symptoms of PPD. In

Pennsylvania, about 10 percent of new mothers self-reported symptoms of PPD compared to the

national average of 13 percent. On average, only half of women experiencing PPD symptoms

seek treatment. Help us give our neighbors, friends, family members, etc. the aid they need.

If you’re looking for expert insights on this topic, Dr. Sandra Culbertson, chair of

Women’s Health at Geisinger, is available for interviews next Thursday or Friday. In her role,

she oversees women’s services across the system including obstetrics and gynecology, maternal

fetal medicine, gynecological oncology, urogynecology and reproductive endocrinology. She can

speak extensively about PPD trends in women, particularly as they relate to the women in our

region, and how the program will help Geisinger’s patients (both insured and uninsured).

Please let me know if you would be interested in speaking to Dr. Culbertson and I’ll be

happy to make arrangements.

Looking forward to your thoughts,

Jordan