BLACKDOCTOR.ORG: PATIENT EDUCATION MASTERCLASS SERIES
12 masterclass series. 140+ episodes. A Content Production Engine built for health equity.
CLIENT: BlackDoctor.org (BDO)
PROJECT: Educational Masterclass Series Production
SCOPE: 12 completed series (140+ episodes) across 15+ medical specialties
TIMELINE: 12 months (November 2023 – November 2024)
ROLE: Solo Producer, Format Designer, Doctor Sourcer, Creative Director, Editor, Graphics Designer
OUTCOME: 140+ episodes delivered. A repeatable content production system built from scratch for the nation’s largest health platform for Black Americans (26 million monthly reach).
the stakes
About BlackDoctor.org
BlackDoctor.org (BDO) is the nation’s largest and most trusted health platform for Black Americans, reaching 26 million people per month. Their mission is to make every Black family as healthy as possible and overcome health inequality by building trusted connections between Black patients and the healthcare system.
Black communities, comprising more than 45 million people in the U.S., have historically had a complicated, and often painful, relationship with the healthcare system. Trust remains the number one gap that must be overcome to achieve clinical trial diversity and health equity.
What this means:
When an organization this important to health equity needed a content production engine, they couldn’t afford to get it wrong.
If the content felt inauthentic, patronizing, or low-quality, it would reinforce the very mistrust they were trying to overcome.
the brief
In late 2023, BlackDoctor.org wanted to create something they’d never done before:
a comprehensive library of physician-led educational masterclass series addressing health disparities in Black communities.
Project requirements:
Cultural sensitivity
Content had to be culturally relevant, address historical medical mistrust, and empower Black patients with knowledge for self-advocacy.
Doctor sourcing
Find qualified doctors across 15+ medical specialties who could articulate complex medical information in accessible language and were willing to participate.
Format design
BDO had never created content like this before. The format needed to be professional, engaging, and repeatable across multiple specialties and topics.
Scale
This wasn’t a single video project, it was a content production engine that needed to deliver consistently over 12 months.
Trust
As a white producer working on content for Black communities addressing health disparities rooted in systemic racism, earning trust was non-negotiable.
THE CHALLENGE
Build a Scalable Educational Content System That Addresses Health Disparities
This wasn’t a simple video project. It was a complex logistical and cultural challenge with five critical obstacles:
1. The Trust Gap
BDO’s mission is to overcome health inequality, where trust remains the number one barrier.
If the content felt inauthentic, patronizing, or low-quality, it would reinforce the very mistrust they were trying to overcome.
What was at stake:
The credibility of BDO’s mission. This wasn’t just about making “good videos” it was about not causing harm.
2. The Sourcing Hurdle
Less than 7% of physicians in America are Black.
I had to independently find and source qualified doctors across 15+ specialties who could:
- Speak authentically to the Black patient experience
- Articulate complex medical information in accessible language
- Trust me (a white producer) to represent their voices with integrity
- Commit time to a project with cultural and professional stakes
BDO didn’t provide doctor referrals. I resourced every single physician independently.
3. The Format Void
BDO had never created content like this before.
The format needed to be:
- Professional (matching the credibility of the mission)
- Engaging (holding audience attention across 5-10 minute episodes)
- Repeatable (scalable across dozens of topics and doctors without reinventing the process each time)
There was no template. I had to build the template.
4. The Scale
This was a 12-month, industrial-scale production engine that had to be run by a single producer.
The math:
- 15 completed masterclass series
- 150+ total episodes
- 14+ medical specialties
- All shot, edited, and delivered by one person
Plus:
- 2 patient story documentaries
- 1 public service announcement (PSA)
- 10 additional series pre-produced (scripted, doctor sourced, production planned, ultimately not filmed)
This wasn’t “make some videos.” This was building a production factory.
5. Cultural Competency
When creating content for Black communities about health disparities, earning trust was non-negotiable.
This required:
- Deep respect for the mission
- Cultural competency in scripting, interviewing, and editing
- Proven track record of representing voices authentically
- Willingness to listen, learn, and defer when appropriate
I wasn’t just the producer. I was being trusted with a mission that matters.
THE APPROACH
How I Solved It: Designing a Content Production Engine from the Ground Up
This wasn’t just “make some videos.” This was building a repeatable system for producing high-quality medical education content at scale.
Phase 1: Format Design: The Foundation
I planned to adapt a cinematic documentary style for healthcare, and designed a format that combined:
A) Physician interviews
Conversational, accessible, authoritative
B) Live-action B-roll
Medical office environments, patient interactions with actors, community settings
C) Custom graphics package
Lower thirds, title cards, transitions, all designed to match BDO’s brand
D) Episode structure
5-10 minutes per episode, 6-12 episodes per series
What made it scalable:
Every series followed the same production blueprint. Once the format was established, I could replicate it across any medical specialty without reinventing the process.
This is the difference between a producer and a content engineer:
I didn’t just execute, I designed the system that enables execution.
Phase 2: Doctor Sourcing: Building Trust
BDO provided the first doctor referral and I resourced the rest of them independently through:
✓ Professional networking
✓ Cold outreach to medical practices
✓ Reputation building (doctors started referring other doctors once they saw the work)
I sourced doctors across 21 medical specialties and what made this remarkable:
Creating content for Black communities about health disparities. Earning the trust of Black physicians required:
- Cultural competency
- Deep respect for the mission
- A proven track record of representing their voices authentically
The fact that doctors began referring other doctors after seeing the work speaks to the cultural competency and respect embedded in every frame.
Phase 3: Content Development: Cultural Competency
For each series, I:
1. Consulted with physicians to identify the most critical health disparities in Black communities
2. Scripted interview questions addressing:
- Self-advocacy (empowering patients to speak up)
- Self-education (knowledge is power)
- Community resources (where to find help)
- Systemic barriers (naming the structural issues without blaming individuals)
3. Collaborated with BDO’s liaison to ensure cultural accuracy and messaging alignment
Phase 4: Production: Solo Operation
Crew size: Me.
I handled:
✓ Creative direction
✓ Filming (interviews + B-roll)
✓ Directing doctors and background actors
✓ Lighting
✓ Audio
✓ Location coordination (doctor offices + community locations)
Background actors:
HIPAA regulations prevented filming real patients, so I cast and directed actors for patient interaction scenarios.
Challenges:
Everything you can imagine was thrown at me:
- Doctors’ schedules (limited shoot windows)
- Managing actors
- Navigating busy medical offices without disrupting patient care
- Limited budgets
- Cultural sensitivity in every frame
I adapted in real time.
Phase 5: Post-Production: Building the Library
For each episode, I:
✓ Edited interviews and B-roll into cohesive narratives
✓ Designed and animated custom graphics
✓ Mixed audio
✓ Color graded footage
✓ Delivered platform-ready files
The result: A complete educational content library, professionally produced, culturally sensitive, and built to serve a mission that matters.
THE DELIVERABLES
What Was Delivered: A Complete Educational Content Library
12 completed masterclass series (140+ total episodes)
15+ medical specialties covered
Custom format design (repeatable across all series)
Complete graphics package (lower thirds, title cards, transitions)
2 patient story documentaries
1 public service announcement (PSA)
6 additional series pre-produced
(scripted, doctor sourced, production planned, ultimately not filmed due to project conclusion)
Timeline: 12 months (November 2023 – November 2024)
THE RESULT
The work speaks for itself:
A complete educational content library, professionally produced, culturally sensitive, and built to serve a mission that matters.
What happened after delivery:
Once content is delivered to a client, its success depends on distribution, marketing, and platform strategy, elements outside a producer’s control.
The 150+ episodes were delivered professionally, on schedule, and with the quality BDO’s mission deserved. Content distribution and audience engagement strategies were managed by BDO post-delivery.
Ten additional series were pre-produced (doctors sourced, scripts written, production planned) but not filmed yet.
WHAT I LEARNED (And How It Helps Future Clients)
Lesson 1:
Format design is infrastructure.
I didn’t just produce episodes, I designed a scalable education system.
Once the format was established, I could replicate it across any medical specialty without reinventing the process. This is how you build content engines, not one-off projects.
Lesson 2:
Cultural competency is earned, not claimed.
As a producer working on content for Black communities addressing health disparities, earning trust was non-negotiable.
The fact that doctors began referring other doctors after seeing the work speaks to the cultural competency and respect embedded in every frame.
Lesson 3:
Solo production at scale is possible – with the right systems.
140+ episodes across 15 specialties, all maintaining the same production quality and format integrity. This is industrial-level content production executed by a single producer.
It is possible through builing a repeatable format and efficient workflows.
Lesson 4:
Doctor sourcing can be difficult, but possible.
Less than 7% of physicians in America are Black. Finding qualified doctors across 21+ specialties, building trust, and securing their participation required cultural understanding, networking skills, cold outreach, reputation building, and cultural competency that made doctors feel safe sharing their expertise.
THE IMPACT POTENTIAL
The content library addresses critical health disparities that disproportionately affect Black communities due to systemic barriers:
✓ Cardiovascular disease
✓ Diabetes
✓ Mental health stigma
✓ Reproductive health access
✓ Nephrology (kidney disease)
✓ Dermatology (skin conditions often misdiagnosed in darker skin)
✓ And more across 15+ specialties
These aren’t abstract topics. These are life-and-death issues where access to culturally competent education can save lives.
THE CULTURAL ACHIEVEMENT
Earning the trust of Black physicians to represent their voices on health disparities was both a privilege and a responsibility.
Here’s what had to be true for this to work:
Deep respect for the mission:
This wasn’t a “gig.” It was a responsibility.
Cultural competency in every frame: From scripting questions to editing interviews to designing graphics, every decision had to honor the lived experience of Black patients.
Listening more than directing:
Doctors are the experts. My job was to amplify their voices, not impose my vision.
Accountability:
If I got something wrong, I had to own it and fix it.
Your input and experience are invaluable, so please feel free to share your thoughts on how to enhance the overall video on my behalf. Our creative team and I were really impressed with the videos on your site, and our vision is to create something similar.
Thanks for your proactive approach in assuring everything goes smoothly!
Project Coordinator and Associated Editor
Black Doctor Inc.
NEED A PRODUCER WHO CAN BUILD CONTENT SYSTEMS?
When your organization has a mission that’s impactful and needs a content production system that scales look not further.
I specialize in:
- Designing repeatable formats
- Sourcing talent independently
- Executing complex productions solo
- Building trust in culturally sensitive contexts
- Delivering at scale
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