Comments About Health Literacy Month 2009 Stories
Below are just some of many comments we've received about this year's storytelling project. Want to add your comment? Send it to helen@healthliteracy.com
"Thank you for putting together such an interesting collection of podcasts and articles for October Health Literacy Month. I have encouraged the members on our Health Region's Health Literacy Committee to have a 'look and listen'."
Liz Thompson, Public Health Nurse
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
"I just want to drop a quick note and say thank you for helping us get our story [October 20] together and for publishing it as part of Health Literacy Month. Our team was very excited to play a part in recognizing the importance of health literacy that we also made health literacy a theme for one of our weekly topics on Twitter."
Alexandra Rampy, MA
Sr. Communications Associate, IQ Solutions
Rockville, Maryland
"LOVING the stories for Health Literacy Month! These are so powerful and obviously have had a great impact to the NIFL listserv as well!"
Nancy N. Forsberg, MLIS
Family Librarian, Family Resource Center
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
New Brunswick, NJ
"Boston University Celebrates Health Literacy Month and Health Communication Awareness." Press release: Boston University’s online Master of Science in Health Communication program is proud to recognize and support Health Literacy Month. And Helen Osborne's comment in return: "Thanks BU! You helped a lot with this year's storytelling project."
"What great comments! Makes me feel good to have been even a small part of this. You should be basking in the warmth of conceiving, directing, and producing a project that is clearly having a positive impact on a lot of people."
Phyllis Moir, Member
Health Literacy Month's Buff (Editorial) Team
"My current class will be signing up for your newsletter as we are studying health issues this year. Additionally, they will, of course, take a look at Sonia's entry![October 11]"
Tamara Kirson, M.Ed.
Lead Instructor, Adult Literacy Program
City College of New York
"The 2009 New York Times Teacher of the Year"
"The health literacy story that goes to the podcast of the African women singing their prevention songs is great [October 14]. I was able to do a presentation for Post Bac, M1 and M2 students recently and used that story along with the AMA videos. It really generated great discussion."
Siobhan Champ-Blackwell, MSLIS
Community Outreach Liaison
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region
Creighton University Health Sciences Library
Omaha, NE
"I have truly been enjoying all the stories for Health Literacy month. I am focusing on health literacy for my dissertation and these are quite inspiring. I frequently share them with my husband who is a neurology resident, and he has also enjoyed them as well. I think the mix of stories you've put together is quite powerful. Thanks!!"
Ariela M. Freedman, MPH, MAT
Doctoral Candidate, Behavioral Sciences and Health Education
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
"What a nice story!!!!!!! [October 19]."
Pat Bush, Executive Director
Horry County Literacy Council in Myrtle Beach, SC
Pennsylvania State Senate proclaims October as Health Literacy Month.
"Help Figuring Out Healthcare Advice," by Cindy Cantrell. Article about Health Literacy Month published in the Boston Globe on October 11, 2009.
"Health Literacy Month Goes Digital," by Jessica Rudis. About about Health Literacy Month in the Boston Globe on October 6, 2009.
"Helen, thank you for all the things you do. By referring to your ideas and health literacy month, a number of medical librarians were inspired to form an informal coalition. We are creating our first flyer to raise awareness and have started a fledgling website, www.azhealthliteracy.org."
Jutta Ulrich
Health Guide America
"I loved this story [October 15]. I hadn’t hear the “smiling mighty Jesus” words since I left disability adjudication years ago. It ranks right up there with “See Roaches” for cirrhosis. His story is wonderful and very well told as well. Kudos to you for putting all these up there!"
Jan Potter, MSTC
Communications Specialist
Partnership for Health and Accountability
Georgia Hospital Association
"Elisheba’s story is great! [October 14] As a former medical illustrator and my other health ed experiences, I certainly appreciate what she is saying. The importance of appropriate drawings/illustrations can not be overly stressed. To have body parts dangling in mid-air or to have in a part of the body which is indistinguishable can be so confusing to the learner. Rather than helping, it hinders the learning process. Cross-section drawings can require a high-level understanding of the body and of "seeing." Elisheba’s approach of asking the intended audience and testing and re-testing until it fits for the audience is right on target!"
Linda L. Rohret, M.A., R.H.Ed. [Read her story on October 9]
Special Projects Coordinator
North Carolina Comprehensive Cancer Program
DHHS--Division of Public Health
Raleigh, NC
"Wonderful slide show [October 9]. What a creative way to reach out to the community and involve them in positive health messages. I loved Eric, the 5 year old."
Patricia A. Auflick
Arizona Health Sciences Library
Tucson, AZ
"Thanks SO much. I've really been enjoying reading all of the stories so far. What a great idea and way to celebrate Health Literacy Month!"
Neyal J. Ammary-Risch, MPH, CHES [Read her story on October 7]
Author, In Mommy's Garden: A Book to Help Explain Cancer to Young Children
"There is a lot written about New Readers. Sometimes you wonder if it's done any good. Reading this story [October 6] melted me in my heart. To have the effect that I had on her -- it's well worth everything I've done. Someone has to pick up the ball and move forward with us. What she [Hamel] said is revolutionary."
Archie Willard
New Reader
"I just did a presentation yesterday to the OB/GYN residents on health literacy and we went into the stories and looked over the one the rehab specialist told [October 6], to let residents see that its not only patients telling the stories, but providers as well."
Siobhan Champ-Blackwell, MSLIS
Community Outreach Liaison
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region
Creighton University Health Sciences Library
Omaha, NE
"Thank you, Helen, for sharing the daily health literacy stories with us! Stories are indeed powerful learning tools, and it's good to see where people from a variety of backgrounds and angles first got the "spark of understanding" about why health literacy matters.... If we could all slow down the whirling frenzy of life that constantly surrounds us long enough to look closely at our personal connections -- be they doctor/patient, teacher/learner or any kind of person/person connection -- we could all see this root that leads to so many branches of what health literacy is and how we can address it."
Julie McKinney Moderator
NIFL-Health list discussion group
"I love the literacy stories. The one about Archie [October 5] is great. I have worked in public health for about six years now, and I have had a tough time getting doctors, epidemiologists, etc. to understand that writing for the public is different from writing for their colleagues."
Kim Fetty, M.P.A.
Outreach Coordinator
West Virginia Poison Center
Charleston, West Virginia
"This is an excellent article [October 2]. Would you mind if I forwarded this to an e-mail list that I belong to for genetic counselors? I really believe they need to see this and begin to critically assess what they do/say with their patients."
Heather L. Shappell, M.S., CGC
Director, Genetic Counseling
Generation Health, Inc.
"I just read a couple of the stories that you posted on your healthy literacy month page. The stories are very moving and well written, and highlight the need for improved health literacy. Congratulations to you and your team for promoting such an important issue!"
Melissa Anderson, BScPT
Manager, Physiotherapy Services, Zone 2
Regional Health Authority B Saint John, New Brunswick Canada
