Health Literacy Month Stories

Helen Osborne recorded this Health Literacy Out Loud podcast at the Institute for Healthcare Advancement’s 8th Annual Health Literacy Conference. Listen as literacy leaders, researchers, clinicians, and patients share their stories about why health literacy matters.  

When Phyllis Moir tried to answer the question, "Why does health literacy matter to me?" she recalled an experience with a doctor who took time to listen. In this very personal and compelling story, she shares how one doctor changed her family's life.

Talya Miron-Shatz, Ph.D. is on a mission to make sure that patients receive information in a manner that facilitates clear understanding and better decision-making. She tells about the first time she realized that knowledge does not simply pour out of the medical system and into patients’ minds. 

Brittany Joiner-Lucas is a health literacy instructor at a technical college in Georgia. She tells about a time health literacy directly affected the life of one of their students.

Dr. David A. Fleming is a physician who knows that far too many patients leave appointments without a clear idea of what the doctor just said. He tells about efforts to help bridge this gap.

Archie Willard wrote his own story about how the New Readers of Iowa (adults learning to read) are putting a real face on the issues of health literacy. He suggests ways to involve people who have literacy problems in your health literacy work.  

Archie Willard has dyslexia and always struggled to read. First published in Plain & Simple: A Health Literacy Project for Iowa, this story tells about Willard's remarkable life and how he teaches those working in public health and health care that there are many more people just like him. 

Pauline Hamel cared deeply about her dissertation topic -- communication and health literacy. But she grew very weary and was tempted to quit towards the end of writing it. Then she read a letter written by Archie Willard (an adult learning to read) that simply yet so eloquently reminded her about the importance of understandable health information. 

There are many ways to raise awareness about health literacy. In this podcast you will hear two Health Literacy Month songs composed and performed by Mache Seibel, MD. He talks about why he composed these songs and how you can download them for free.

Neyal J. Ammary-Risch was in elementary school when her friend Rachel’s mother died from cancer. She knows how scary and confusing cancer can be, especially to young kids. Her book, In Mommy’s Garden: A Book to Help Explain Cancer to Young Children, not only helps adults talk to kids about cancer but also can be used across different races and ethnicities. 

Naomi Karten tells an amusing yet all too-real story about her experience with "Dr. Scribbling" -- an orthopedist whose handwriting wasn’t on a par with his surgical prowess. After Naomi left the doctor's office she looked again at his written instructions. Unfortunately, to her it was just illegible and indecipherable scribblings.

Linda Rohret's awareness of the importance of health literacy began early in life and continues today. She shares the story of landmarks that brought her to where she is today -- a health educator whose career revolves around the critical need for health literacy. 

Twenty years ago, Tisha Kenny, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in public health and an avid interest in art, started to think about the effect of this relentless advertising– not only on individuals, but on communities as a whole. What would happen if communities were instead exposed to messages that promoted healing and healthy lifestyles in a vibrant, arresting, and unique way? You can see examples of this artwork and media campaign in an online slideshow. 

Angela Arner is a librarian working in an academic health sciences library. She tells about why she created a blog to raise health literacy awareness among students, faculty, staff, health care professionals, and the community at large. 

Sonia Portugal shares thoughts about health and nutrition with her English as a Second Language classmates in New York and friends from Peru --the country from which she came. She wrote this poem about nutrition.

Doug Kapp learned to read as an adult. First published in Plain & Simple: A Health Literacy Project for Iowa, this story tells about his experiences teaching public health and health care workers how to help patients with low health literacy skills. 

Jan Potter tells about how health literacy first hit home when her mother was hospitalized for what was believed to be heart problems. Knowing the many problems that can occur, she now designs tools to better communicate health information.

Helen Osborne recorded this Health Literacy Out Loud podcast while in northern South Africa. Listen as community health workers sing health songs in English, Zulu, and Sepedi.

Elisheba Muturi first learned the importance of health literacy while studying international development in Zambia, Africa. She describes the process of improving health literacy by involving the audience at all stages of materials design.

Dr. William Rohde learned at the start of medical training that taking a patient’s history is key to accurate diagnosis and treatment. The dictum is simple: "The patient will always tell you ‘what hurts,’ if you know how to listen." His experience treating Miss Elly proved this to be true.

Siobhan Champ-Blackwell is a medical librarian whose job includes helping people access health information that empowers them to make thoughtful decisions. So when her husband required invasive surgery four years ago, they were shocked that the nurse pointed out he was not taking one of his medications correctly.

Lakeysha Sowunmi was volunteering in a kindergarten class several years ago when she noticed one little girl who kept going in and out of the classroom during recess. The teacher explained that the little girl had diabetes and had to check her blood sugar frequently. Largely because of this experience, Sowunmi now advocates for more health literacy about diabetes in schools and is writing two children’s books. 

Jon Stemmle is a journalist whose team developed a unique and effective way to introduce the concept of health literacy to Missourians. They learned yet again that a story’s message, not necessarily its reading level, is what's most important. 

Norma Kenoyer doesn't read very well. And neither does her brother or did her dad. Forty years ago she didn't want to tell anybody. Today, she helps to teach doctors about ways to better communicate with patients who have reading problems. 

The U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion knows there are a lot of problems with consumer health information -- Web users with limited literacy skills are not using the Internet for health information and health information Web sites are not designed for people with limited literacy skills. This story is about a website helping to  change all that. 

Jane Thomas is part of ongoing efforts to improve health outcomes and address health inequalities in Liverpool, England. She writes about a new social marketing program that is looking to improve health literacy and encourage positive behavior change.   

Rima Rudd is a faculty member at the Harvard School of Public Health. Her work focuses on health literacy policy, practice, and research. She also is a mother and recalls how a surgeon inspired her 5-year old son to be an active patient. 

Bridgette Collado is a registered dietitian. From modifying diets for prison inmates to counseling patients and friends about nutrition, Collado knows how good communication can help empower others to make healthy choices.

Luisa Leme writes about the “Seed to Table” project, which started as a three-week activity for preschool classes to learn about life cycles within the garden and the nutritional value of plants. This project has grown considerably over the years. It now provides a solid foundation for teaching and learning about health literacy. 

Denise H. Britigan is a health education doctoral candidate.  She suggests ways to learn more about health literacy, heighten awareness, and help bring about a change for the better.    

Lisa Gualtieri is an Adjunct Clinical Professor in Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Her introduction to health literacy came when a Cambodian friend was diagnosed with cancer and needed her help as an unofficial patient advocate. This experience formed a lasting impression about the importance of health literacy. 

Don McCormick is a public health communicator who knows the power of a good story. Often, health literacy stories come from adults who only recently learned to read. He writes about how the New Readers of Iowa are helping to change the way health care providers and public health professionals communicate.

Helen Osborne recorded this Health Literacy Out Loud podcast at the Institute for Healthcare Advancement’s 8th Annual Health Literacy Conference. Listen as literacy leaders, researchers, clinicians, and patients share their stories about why health literacy matters.  

Dr. Karen Edison was treating a 75-year-old male patient who had a biopsy proven basal cell carcinoma. She was explaining to him that he needed more surgery to completely remove the tumor but didn’t seem to be getting very far. Then she remembered some communication tips she learned from a colleague.

Most of us don’t give too much thought to the availability of clean water – turn on any faucet, and it’s there. While we may realize that there are places in the developing world where clean water is not easily accessible, we might be surprised that this can be a problem even in the United States. Michelle Badash wrote and produced this compelling essay and photo slideshow about a unique program to help from Texas A & M University (TAMU). 

Andrew Eaves is Vice President of Marketing & Development at the Visiting Nurse Association of South Central Connecticut. He first heard the term "health literacy" at a Chamber of Commerce event 3 years ago. His organization quickly took action -- knowing that community and home health care is all about helping patients gain the knowledge they need to take care of themselves right here and right now. 

Don McCormick writes about Marguerite Avant, an 86-year-old woman who had been around the block a time or two, in terms of health issues. But she now is finding it nearly impossible to remember each of her prescription medications. Her great-nephew is using proven health literacy strategies to help. 

Randi Kant has worked for many years promoting healthy behaviors among older adults. Her definition of health literacy has grown to include an individual’s understanding of the day-to-day health behaviors crucial for good health. She looks for ways to help clients realize they are in the "driver's seat" of their own health. 

Helen Osborne founded Health Literacy Month nearly 12 years ago as a way to raise awareness about the need for understandable health information. Since she likes stories and wanted to learn about social media, Helen came up with a notion to somehow combine the two. And so begins the story of a remarkable team that created a spectacular Health Literacy Month storytelling project.