I would like to?echo the concerns voiced by Julie McKinney, Daphne Greenberg and David Rosen?about the National Health Literacy Act competing with Adult Literacy funding.? And to comment that the potential for the two movements to work together is very strong.? Already there are terrific models of?the adult literacy and health literacy education systems working collaborately to integrate health literacy education into adult literacy curriculum and to enhance delivery of health care services for vulnerable populations.

Here in Massachusetts, 10 programs are funded to do "participatory health education" in a student-led, empowerment model.? A large number of other Massachusetts programs integrate health in a variety of other ways but all of the Massachusetts programs rely on community health literacy educators to assist them in teaching/learning -- and in facilitating access to health services.? Health screening services on site?are common.? Some programs are?even working with health organizations to develop adult literacy students as "community health educators" 

California, Georgia, Illinois?and New York City have also done a lot of work to integrate health literacy education into adult literacy program.? I believe Iowa has also done signficant work.? And I am sure there is lots of other great work going on that I don't know about.

I hope folks from these states on the list will give us more details about what they are currently doing.

Looking at these models and their collaborations will?develop?understanding of how the two fields could work together to address health disparities and leverage resources for both fields.


Marcia Drew Hohn, Ed.D.
Director of Public Education
Immigrant Learning Center
442 Main St., Malden, MA 02148
781-322-9777

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