I was working in a program that supported providers who serve children with 
special health care needs. It was 1996, and because I had worked in 
literacy, my antenna was up re how complicated the health information was 
and how overwhelmed the parents of these children must be. I noticed one day 
a copy of Doak and Doak's book on the shelf above my desk, and that did it. 
I started reading and studying and joined this listserve; from there I ran a 
pediatric literacy program, then a health literacy program--all while 
continuing to freelance as a writer and editor. It drives what I do today.

Kristina
*****************************************
Kristina Anderson
EasyRead Copywriting, LLC
PO Box 6146
Albuquerque, NM 87197
505.345.3258
www.easyreadcopywriting.com



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie McKinney" <julie_mcKinney at worlded.org>
To: <healthliteracy at nifl.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 8:46 AM
Subject: [HealthLiteracy 863] Wednesday Question: Health Literacy Awareness



> Hi Everyone,

>

> In order to start thinking about our discussion next week, today's

> question is about health literacy awareness.

>

> What first opened your eyes to issues of health literacy and encouraged

> you to learn more and be active?

> Was it a personal story, an event, a video, discussions with your

> clients (patients, students, etc.)?

> Have you ever attended or planned a health literacy awareness event?

> What worked or didn't work?

> Have you ever addressed health literacy with your literacy students?

>

> I am trying to think about what it is that draws people in to change

> their behavior--professional or personal--around this issue.

>

> I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this! Please see below for

> the information about next week's discussion on planning health literacy

> awareness events.

>

> All the best,

> Julie

>

>

> **************************

>

> Planning Health Literacy Awareness Events

> What: Guest speaker discussion

> When: April 23-27, 2007

> Where: Online on the Health & Literacy Discussion List

> Anyone can subscribe for free at:

> www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy

> Who: Our guest will be Helen Osborne, founder of Health Literacy Month

> and author of the “Health Literacy Month Handbook: The Event Planning

> Guide for Health Literacy Advocates”

> _______________________________________________

> October is Health Literacy Month, a time when health literacy advocates

> around the world promote the importance of making health information

> understandable. This annual event actually started with a posting Helen

> Osborne made to the Health & Literacy Discussion List in 1999.

> Now is the time to start making your plans for Health Literacy Month

> 2007. Helen will join us for an informative discussion about how you can

> help raise local awareness about health literacy this October.

> Helen has recently completed the “Health Literacy Month Handbook: The

> Event Planning Guide for Health Literacy Advocates” and will share some

> of her expertise in this type of event planning including creating a

> vision, building a team, running events, and measuring success. We hope

> that this discussion will be a forum for health literacy advocates

> everywhere to exchange ideas, share resources, and learn from one

> another.

> About the guest Speaker:

> Recognized as an expert in health literacy, Helen Osborne M.Ed., OTR/L

> helps health professionals communicate in ways patients and their

> families can understand. She is president of her own business, Health

> Literacy Consulting, based in Natick, Massachusetts. Helen is also the

> founder of Health Literacy Month – a worldwide campaign to raise

> awareness about the importance of understandable health information.

>

> Helen speaks, consults, and writes about health literacy. She is in her

> eighth year as a columnist for the Boston Globe’s On Call magazine,

> writing about patient education and healthcare communication. In

> addition to the new Health Literacy Month Handbook, Helen is also the

> author of several other books including the award-winning Health

> Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message

> published by Jones & Bartlett. To learn more about Helen’s work, please

> visit the Health Literacy Consulting website at www.healthliteracy.com.

>

> Recommended Reading:

>

> Health Literacy Month Website

> http://www.healthliteracy.com/hl_month.asp

> This website includes a searchable database of Health Literacy Month

> events as well as a form to submit how your organization is

> participating. The website has resources including a free downloadable

> Health Literacy Month logo.

>

> In Other Words…It’s Time to Get Involved in Health Literacy Month

> http://www.healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=3752

> Published as a column in “On Call Magazine”, this article by Helen

> Osborne outlines some basics of getting involved in Health Literacy

> Month.

>

> In Other Words…Why Health Literacy Matters

> http://www.healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=3791

> This article includes accounts from patients, providers and policy

> makers of why we allIn Other Words…Measuring the Effectiveness of Health 

> Literacy

> Interventions

> http://www.healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=3753

> This article focuses on why it is important to measure the effectiveness

> of your health communication efforts.

>

> We hope you can join us for this discussion! Please forward this

> announcement to all your colleagues and friends interested in learning

> more about awareness-raising events.

>

>

> Julie McKinney

> Discussion List Moderator

> World Education/NCSALL

> jmckinney at worlded.org

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Health and Literacy mailing list

> HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy

>

> Julie McKinney

> Discussion List Moderator

> World Education/NCSALL

> jmckinney at worlded.org

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Health and Literacy mailing list

> HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to 

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy