LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Viewers can prepare to have their perceptions challenged in a new segment of “Empowered with Meg Ryan.” The program partnered with Vivent Health to explore the human side of living with HIV and the collaborative efforts paving the way to end the epidemic.
Public Television audiences are invited to discover a new understanding of HIV in an upcoming segment of “Empowered with Meg Ryan,” featuring Vivent Health. Set to film later this year in Milwaukee, this segment will gently guide viewers through the evolving landscape of HIV care and prevention. It will reveal how, despite significant advancements in medicine and understanding, HIV remains a vital public health concern, impacting over 1.2 million people in the U.S. and seeing approximately 35,000 new diagnoses annually.
The program will highlight Vivent Health’s unique integrated, person-centered approach, demonstrating that HIV is preventable and treatable, allowing individuals to live long, healthy lives while reducing overall transmission. The segment will also underscore how social and structural factors, often overlooked, are crucial in the fight against HIV, emphasizing that medicine alone cannot stop the spread of HIV without addressing foundational barriers like lack of access to healthcare, food security, and housing stability.
“HIV is both manageable and preventable with the right care and treatment, but good health requires that we break down barriers to accessible and quality health care,” says Dr. Brandon Hill, President & CEO of Vivent Health. “The work we do here at Vivent Health is twofold: Through our team-based care model, we help people living with and impacted by HIV access the HIV care and social services they need to thrive. And with PrEP, STI testing, condom distribution, and other preventive measures, we work to reduce the spread of HIV and keep our communities healthier.”
“Many of the people we serve are Black, Brown, queer, poor, or unhoused,” Hill continues. “They are already facing food insecurity, discrimination, and more. That’s why it’s so critical we connect with our most marginalized communities, because in order to end HIV, we must address these significant disparities.”
This powerful segment will also emphasize the critical role of community-based outreach in reaching vulnerable populations, providing vital services like HIV prevention, harm reduction, and essential connections to care directly where people live and work. It will also confront the persistent challenge of stigma surrounding HIV, explaining how it hinders testing, prevents engagement with life-saving care, fuels mental health struggles among those living with the virus, and ultimately undermines broader public health progress. Viewers will learn about Vivent Health’s remarkable success in achieving viral suppression rates that far exceed national averages, including among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx patients, proving that equitable care is not just a goal, but a tangible reality. The segment aims to inspire a broader, more compassionate understanding of HIV, encouraging public and private support for the sustained funding and political will necessary to finally end this epidemic, building on a legacy of compassion and community-driven action that began decades ago when fear and inaction left so many isolated.
About Empowered with Meg Ryan: “Empowered with Meg Ryan” is a Public Television program that offers viewers valuable insights and educational content, inspiring them to take informed action in their lives and communities. The program highlights organizations that are making a positive impact and providing pathways to greater well-being. Learn more at: www.empoweredprogram.com
About Vivent Health: Vivent Health is a multi-state organization dedicated to providing comprehensive, integrated care and prevention services to individuals impacted by HIV. Rooted in a legacy of community-based action and compassion, Vivent Health is committed to ending the HIV epidemic through a person-centered approach that addresses both medical and social determinants of health. Learn more at: viventhealth.org
SOURCE Empowered with Meg Ryan
