For inspiration! Here are collected ideas from IHA’s Health Literacy Solutions Center members on how they’re recognizing Health Literacy Month.
Action Ideas
| Contributor | Organization | Action Idea |
| Natalie Crljenic | University Health Network, Toronto | Worked collaboratively to light the CN Tower on 10/2 in blue and orange for HL Month Worked collaboratively to light the CN Tower on 10/2 in blue and orange for HL Month Contributed a story to UHN News by a Patient Partners, with health literacy experiences Posted social media clips with CN Tower images and short clips on health literacy skills Promoted Health Literacy Month in hospital displays and our regular email newsletters |
| Korinne Callihan | UK Healthcare | Distributed HL newsletter with plain language principles attached to a bag filled plain M&M’s and a sticker label “Make it PLAIN!”. |
| MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, MEd, NDTR | Ohio Health Literacy Partners | Successfully petitioned the Governor’s office to have October declared Health Literacy Month in Ohio! |
| Kathryn M. Anderson, MA | University of New Mexico Hospitals | Webinar: I See You! Empathy, Equity, and Health Literacy |
| Rachel Skoss | University of Notre Dame Australia | Launched a resource for caregivers: “Health Care For People Who Need Support: a health literacy guide to support the health of people with cognitive impairment or intellectual disability” |
| Katherine Leath & Tonilee Jackson-Price, MS, CHES | UAMS Center for Health Literacy | #Plainpledge™ is the name for their month-long social media awareness campaign. They asked people to post selfies holding cards that have a difficult to understand health word that they pledged not to use. |
| Anna Allen | Say Ah! | Dedicated Health Literacy Month to supporting Janet Ohene-Frempong (and others!) work to Get Out the Vote (#GOTV). Posted on social media platforms about important state voter registration deadlines. |
| Carolyn Cutilli PhD RN NPD-BC | Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania | Serving clients at a soup kitchen, giving info on free clinics, and Ask Me 3 Working with patient education team to units with message about our health organization assessment with game and goodies Night shift table in central area on health literate organization assessment with game and goodies Patient facing table in ambulatory area with Ask me 3 Speaker on awareness to action for the health system Article in newsletter on health literate organization assessment Screensavers on being a health literate organization |
| Iris Feinberg | The Georgia Alliance for Health Literacy and the Adult Literacy Research Center at Georgia State University (GSU) | Sponsored a lunch time event with the Law and Health Society at GSU, presenting “From Coverage to Care: Advancing Equity through Health Literacy”. |
| Geri Lynn Baumblett | Emmi Solutions | Created a blog series where people from different communities contribute, interact, and get exposure to each other – including patients, clinicians, decision scientists, behavioral economists, journalists, and family caregivers. |
| Hope Schwanhausser, MPH, EdS | Carolinas HeatlhCare System | Created an online health literacy quiz for employees. |
| Krista Wright and Angie Knackstedt | Children’s Mercy Hospital & Clinics | Created health literacy hero t-shirts for committee members. Hosted a Champions luncheon for the hospital president, vice-presidents and department managers. Displayed information on health literacy and teach-back to staff, families and visitors using stickers and handouts in English and Spanish. Gave a hospital-wide Hero award to an employee who utilized health literacy principles to provide exceptional communication. |