Case Study: HealthDay/ City of Hope
Translating complex cancer topics into warm, accurate content patients and families can trust.
About the Project
HealthDay is a leading health content agency that partners with organizations like City of Hope—one of the most respected cancer research and treatment centers in the country. When they needed skilled health writers to expand their oncology content, they reached out to me to join their editorial team.
Over the course of a year, I created dozens of educational articles designed to help patients and their families better understand cancer diagnoses, treatment options, and supportive care. These weren’t just articles—they were bridges between overwhelming medical complexity and emotional vulnerability. My role was to make sure those bridges felt steady, trustworthy, and easy to walk across.
The Challenge
City of Hope had a clear goal: provide their patients and caregivers with content that was accurate, accessible, and comforting. They had the medical expertise. They had the topics. But they needed writers who could translate it all—clearly, compassionately, and consistently.
That’s where I came in.
They were looking for:
Clinically informed content written in plain language
Empathy-driven messaging patients could connect with
Writers who could follow strict editorial guidelines and hit deadlines without hand-holding
What I Did
Working from HealthDay’s briefs and style guides, I developed articles on a range of cancer-related topics—from common conditions to rare cancers, and from chemotherapy regimens to major surgeries.
Throughout the process, I used a patient-first framework:
Broke down dense research into simple, digestible explanations
Used examples, analogies, and structured formatting to guide readers
Acknowledged emotional weight with empathy and clarity, not fear
Maintained a voice that was informed but never cold, and supportive without being overly simplistic
I also collaborated closely with editors and fact-checkers to ensure accuracy and consistency with institutional voice and brand tone.
The End Result
Trusted, Empathetic Cancer Education
By the end of our engagement, I had become one of their go-to contributors for oncology content—especially when a topic was complex, sensitive, or required extra nuance.
Project highlights:
Consistent assignments over 12+ months
Positive feedback from editors and fact-checkers
Trusted with emotionally difficult and technically detailed topics
Helped build a patient education library that matched City of Hope’s reputation for excellence and compassion
From the Client:
Want Health Content That Respects Both the Science and the Human Experience?
Let’s build resources your audience can trust—without overwhelming them.
Schedule a call or message me to discuss your next project.
