With San Diego-based Equip, Kristina Saffran and Erin Parks have convinced health insurers from UnitedHealthcare to Aetna to pay for research-backed treatment for thousands of patients struggling with eating disorders. <br /><br />A decade after recovering from anorexia, Saffran started a company to help make this same type of therapy more accessible by offering a single online portal through which families can treat and manage a child’s eating disorder. Equip also offers wraparound services that aren’t always offered alongside in-person therapy, with the full care team including a therapist, medical doctor, dietician and peer and parent mentors. <br /><br />Equip’s virtual therapy is so powerful because of a shortage of specialized therapists and in-person clinics, said Saffran’s cofounder Erin Parks, 44, a clinical psychologist who previously worked at the UC San Diego Eating Disorder Clinic. Before starting Equip, Parks treated families who had flown in from all over the country seeking care. <br /><br />Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katiejennings/2024/08/15/after-surviving-anorexia-this-founder-raised-110-million-to-treat-the-deadly-disease-online/<br /><br />Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1<br /><br />Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:<br /><br />https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript<br /><br />Stay Connected<br />Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com<br />Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes<br />Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes<br />Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes<br />More From Forbes: http://forbes.com<br /><br />Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.
