About Healing Heart TV
Healing Heart TV was created in 2014 by award- winning cinematographer, Gina DeGirolamo, after her experience with being her sister's caregiver through a very difficult illness and surgery. After weeks spent in the hospital she began to observe what was working and what wasn't for the patient, the families and the caregivers.
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What wasn't working? Hospital noise, constant interruption, an overwhelmed nursing staff, and negative news media being played on hospital televisions. What was working? Facilities that streamed nature videos, healing music, and guided imagery on their televisions, healing gardens, and beautiful art work, and holistic approaches to patient care like Reiki and yoga as part of the healing services.
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Gina decided she needed to make a contribution and make it her mission to transform the patient experience through the creation of cinematic nature videos. Once she began on this road she realized that there were so many other forms of media content that could support not only the patient experience but the caregiver experience as well.
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You can read the full story on Gina, her sister Joan, and their experience here.
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Our Team
Gina DeGirolamo
Founder & President
Gina DeGirolamo has been a filmmaker for over 30 years. She received her degree in communication & television production at Ohio State University and began her career in New York City in 1985 working at a high profile commercial production company. She worked as a production assistant and became very familiar with the ins and outs of a multi million-dollar production company.
Once Gina chose to focus her career on the cinematography aspect of production, she moved to Los Angeles where she spent the next 15 years working on dramatic and comedic television series for ABC, CBS, NBC, HBO, FOX and major studios like Universal, Warner Brothers, Paramount and Disney. She has been a passionate Director of Photography on several independent films, documentaries and short films.
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Gina has broadened her scope of filmmaker to producing, editing and directing and has been honored by the International Cinematographers Guild 2005 Short Film Showcase for her work on BROTHERS. She has shot literally hundreds of short form videos and still photos for small business and corporate clients.
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The project closest to Gina’s heart right now is Healing Heart TV.
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You can connect to Gina here:
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Penny Edmiston
Vice President, Production
Penny Edmiston is an award-winning filmmaker with a successful career of producing commercials, stills, and documentaries, such as BONES BRIGADE, directed by Stacy Peralta which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012. She wrote and co-directed the award-winning documentary film UNFIT: WARD VS. WARD. Her first produced narrative film BEAUTY MARK world premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival 2017 and sold to The Orchard.
She produced the documentary, BETHANY HAMILTON: UNSTOPPABLE, which world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival 2018 and the film was released in theaters domestically and is currently available digitally and on DVD. She also produced the award winning narrative film, EPIPHANY.
Penny also has a TV series set in the world of car racing titled, SPEEDWAY, currently in development with Jason Priestley.
In addition to Penny joining the Healing Heart TV project, her production company LUCKY PENNY PRODUCTIONS is currently editing a short film entitled THE HIREATH and filming the documentary short GOOD SAMARITAN in Haiti.
With many television and film projects in development, she hopes to continually be inspired by content, corn-dogs and the bigger picture. Affectionately known to her crew as “Penster,” she resides in Los Angeles, California with her Boxer, Maya.
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http://www.imdb.me/pennyedmiston
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A graduate of Ohio Northern University, Ann Spurgeon began her career by teaching in school systems in Ohio and Oklahoma. After teaching, she joined American Airlines as a flight attendant and was based in Los Angeles, California. There, she honed her people skills and directional skills so she could find her way around any city. After flying, she applied those skills to fundraising, which has led to success and growth in development.
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Ann Spurgeon
Vice President, Development
Ann has spent most of her professional career fundraising for medical, educational, and advocacy organizations, including City of Hope, University of Southern California, Syracuse University, and United Friends of the Children. Her experience includes all aspects of development work, such as, special events, corporate fundraising, donor relations, major gifts, and annual giving.
Her professional philosophy is one of lifelong curiosity and the importance of education, whether formal or life-learned. Her hobbies include biking, kayaking, travel, cooking, and an interest in wine education.