Welcome
Cynthia Baur, PhDUniversity of Maryland
Michael Villaire, MSLM
Institute for Healthcare Advancement
This Time, It Must Be Different: Public Health Crisis Messaging Using A Credible Messenger Approach
DeJuan Patterson, MPAPATIENTS Program, University of Baltimore
Credible messengers are trusted neighborhood leaders and experienced community advocates with relevant life experiences who help community members transform their attitudes and behaviors around a public policy issue. Is it enough to have a team member who looks like the community you're serving? To kick off our conference, Baltimore-based advocate DeJuan Patterson will share about his experience as a credible messenger on a COVID-19 communication project and action items for future public health initiatives.
Objectives
Describe the credible messenger approachDescribe the benefits of using a credible messenger
Advancing Health Literacy COVID-19 Grants—A Policy Opportunity for Health Literacy?
Moderator
Cynthia Baur, PhD
University of Maryland
Panel
Mary Ann Abrams, MD, MPH
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Susan Bockrath, MPH, CHES
Nebraska Association of Local Health Directors
Elizabeth Chung
Asian American Center of Frederick
The Office of Minority Health within the Biden administration recently awarded $250 million in health literacy to 73 local governments as part of its COVID-19 response. Does the “Advancing Health Literacy (AHL) to Enhance Equitable Community Responses to COVID-19” grant program signal a move toward more health literacy funding? How can the health literacy community leverage this decision to demonstrate the power and efficacy of health literacy to improve the likelihood of more such grants? Hear from 3 grant recipients on how they plan to use these funds to battle COVID-19 using health literacy approaches, how these programs will raise awareness of health literacy within their communities, and the rationale from Office of Minority Health leadership (invited) for how and why this approach was chosen.
Objectives
- Describe collaborative, community-based approaches to using health literacy practices to fight COVID-19.
- Discuss ways in which advocates can use policy strategies to advance health literacy.
- Identify 3 ways raising health literacy awareness at a community level can advance health equity.