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5 ways Pitt people helped shape America
Freedom House’s legacy was largely forgotten for decades, but found new recognition in 2025 with the TV show "The Pitt." A recent Pitt Public Health study led by BCHS faculty member Beth Hoffman found Google searches for “Freedom House” jumped 170% the day after the episode aired and stayed elevated for about a week.
HBO’s ‘The Pitt’ drove surge in searches for first Black-staffed EMS company
A single episode of HBO’s popular medical drama “The Pitt” sparked a 170% surge in online searches about Freedom House Ambulance Service, according to a Pitt Public Health study published in American Journal of Health Promotion. “Entertainment media can play a meaningful role in educating the public and encouraging people to learn more, including about topics like health equity and systemic racism,” said Beth Hoffman, assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences and the study’s first author.
Awareness of Freedom House Ambulance Service, historically overlooked, surged after 'The Pitt'
A University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health study, led by Beth Hoffman, assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences, found that a storyline about the historic Freedom House Ambulance Service in the TV drama “The Pitt” sparked a spike in online searches and discussion, showing how entertainment can revive forgotten Black history. The research highlights the service’s pioneering role in emergency medicine and its eventual shutdown despite its lasting impact