User:HealthGal/Tracey Powell

Tracey Powell is a healthcare entrepreneur whose life’s mission has centered around STD education, awareness, and diagnostics. He currently serves as the CEO of Chicago-based getSTDtested.com, an online facilitator of sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing and counseling.

Background
Tracey Powell was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in Belleville, Illinois. He earned a marketing degree from Western Illinois University in 1974.

Business Career
After over fifteen years of leading and managing various telecommunications software companies, Powell created one of the first interactive voice response (IVR) solutions to deliver lab testing results confidentially and efficiently. He quickly saw the potential of this same approach to address HIV testing needs. In 1993, Powell founded Home Access Health Corporation, a medical diagnostic company offering the only FDA-approved at-home kits for anonymous HIV and Hepatitis C testing. Following his success at Home Access Health Corporation, Powell moved on to his next business venture in 2008 by starting DTC MD (Direct-to-Consumer Medical Diagnostics), which later became the parent company of getSTDtested.com.

When Powell began noticing a shift towards online medical consumerism, he decided to develop a website that would enable individuals to not only learn more about STDs, but to order testing in a reliable and confidential fashion. In May 2009, he founded getSTDtested.com, one of the country’s leading online STD testing companies. getSTDtested.com currently offers at-home testing for Chlamydia and gonorrhea, in addition to online testing for common STDs such as HIV, syphilis, Herpes 1, Herpes 2, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.

As part of his commitment to de-stigmatizing STDs and enabling sexually-active individuals to learn the truth about their health, Powell developed a partnership with the American Social Health Association to offer certified STD counseling to customers in need of guidance. getSTDtested.com also received the first-ever ASHA seal of approval for utilizing the Internet as a vehicle for promoting STD screening and awareness. Most recently, Powell launched STDUniversity.org, a not-for-profit 501-c (3) organization whose goal is to educate web-savvy 18 to 29-year olds on STD prevention. The site offers an interactive, personalized STD test recommendations developed by academic and medical experts.

Recognition
Although the field of STD testing does not bestow official certifications to those at the forefront, Powell has been hailed as a pioneer in the world of STD education, testing, and prevention. By introducing the topic of STDs as non-controversial and creating an open forum for STD discussion and concern, Powell has been instrumental in facilitating STD testing and awareness among adults and teenagers alike. On January 23, 2007, he was called upon to testify in front of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics in support of consumer privacy throughout the STD testing process. Since that time, Powell has partnered with medical and public health experts to offer the latest and most advanced methods of confidential online STD screening and diagnoses.