By Sheilah Thomas, Editor & Publisher, Health&Healing

JOURNEYS: the topic of this issue is a special one—reflecting Health&Healing’s mission and history. What you’ll find on the following pages are stories about health care providers and their patients—stories that teach us a great deal about the skills, experiences, and passions of the people in our community who help us to heal and guide us to better health.

Their stories are compelling and revealing; the things that have guided and motivated them on their professional journeys say much about the care they provide their patients. Each of their journeys is unique, but you’ll see in all their stories some common themes. Without exception, these health care providers are students—driven by curiosity, a fascination with their work, and an abiding commitment to understanding and problem solving. Equally obvious is the care and respect they have for their patients. The healing journey they share with their patients is a partnership.

That, in fact, is why this topic is so connected to this publication’s mission, and why we chose to feature it again, as we did nine years ago. H&H began with a simple idea: to introduce health care practitioners, and the services they provided. Its founder, Josh Hartford, was a journalist. That meant, for him, that information should be shared in a way that would help readers understand the work of these practitioners—in other words, through stories.

The Evolution of an Idea

Over the years, that fundamental idea has proven to be a powerful one. H&H has not only been effective in connecting providers and patients; it has helped to expand awareness of health care options throughout the Triangle, introducing readers to the extraordinary variety of healing modalities and providers in our community. And an unanticipated but rewarding outcome has been the rise of an informal network of providers—increasing their connections and referrals.

H&H is a free distribution publication, not a subscription—accessible to anyone who picks it up or reads it on-line. So we cannot know the extent of the publication’s impact. But our readers and contributors do share stories with us, encouraging us to believe in the value of what we do. One such story will always stay with me: Some years ago, we received a small package in the mail containing a gift—a beautifully wrapped bar of handmade soap. The sender offered it as a thank you. She said simply that an article in the publication had saved her life, steering her to a practitioner who had helped her heal.

The Path Ahead

As with any business endeavor, H&H’s journey has evolved, even as its core mission is unchanged. The first issues were called Getting Well—a newsletter in support of a wellness facility in Durham and later in Raleigh. (The Durham and Raleigh editions merged some years later, becoming Health&Healing in the Triangle.) That was at a time when physicians did not advertise, in any form, so those first issues were revolutionary. That has changed of course! Over the years, health care providers gradually adopted ways of communicating on their own—through advertising, newsletters, and eventually entering the digital world through websites and social media.

Today, we’ve reached another turning point on our journey. Signposts signaling the change first came some years ago, as the world increasingly turned to social media and the Internet for information. Recognizing that trend, H&H began publishing its issues on its website, as well as in conventional printed form, and began what we call “digital distribution”—connecting to readers through the Internet. One more new step along the path.

Five years ago, that trend accelerated. Publication halted briefly, of course, in response to Covid. But it was clear, when publication resumed, that we had entered a new phase of our journey. Covid had greatly accelerated the changes in how the world communicates; more than ever, people were seeking information on-line.

Health&Healing: Moving On-line

And, so we’ve reached the next stage of H&H’s journey, and the new signpost on our path is the QR code. This will be the last printed issue of the publication. But the fundamental commitment and character of H&H will not change. We’ll continue to publish bimonthly, but only through our website. Digital “distribution” will allow us to reach out to readers through social media, expanding our ability to connect with readers beyond what we can do with printed copies.

More important, the website itself is expanding to become an information “portal” about health care in the Triangle. A key resource is the classified Health Services Directory, providing contact information of a wide range of health care and health related services providers. We’re also expanding the site to include profiles of local practices and practitioners and, undoubtedly, will grow further to meet information needs.

Join us on this new phase of the journey. We welcome your thoughts, questions,  and suggestions.