Welcome
Cynthia Baur, PhD
Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, University of Maryland School of Public Health
Michael Villaire, MSLM
Institute for Healthcare Advancement
10:50 am – 11:00 am (ET)
Retirement Tribute to Dr. Alice M. Horowitz, Oral Health Literacy Pioneer
Alice M. Horowitz, PhD, MA, RDH
Cynthia Baur, PhD
Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, University of Maryland School of Public Health
11:00 am – 11:10 pm (ET)
Community Leader Perspective: Language Access is an Essential Community Service
Maria D. Herrera
Spanish-Speaking Community of Maryland Inc. (La Comunidad)
Ms. Herrera will share her perspective as a service provider to low income and immigrant Spanish speaking families in Maryland. She will speak about their approach to promoting self-sufficiency and meaningful access to critical information about rights, services, and health.
11:10 am – 12:00 pm (ET)
A Policy Approach to Health Literacy Impact
Cynthia Baur, PhD
Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, University of Maryland School of Public Health
Leni Preston
Independent Consumer Voice on Health Policy
Delegate Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk, Esq.
Maryland House of Delegates, Democrat, District 21, Anne Arundel & Prince George's Counties
This session explains Maryland's health policy framework that led to the passage of a 2022 law designating the Horowitz Center for Health Literacy as the state's Consumer Health Information Hub. The law also translates the federal Plain Writing Act into state level plain language requirements for public health safety and social services benefits information. The speakers will describe the legislative
and consumer health advocacy and prior bills and laws that laid the groundwork for the new Hub and suggest options for other states and localities to consider.
- List the main elements of the Maryland Consumer Health Information Hub
- Describe key factors that help or hinder consumer health information policies
- Analyze their own state and local environments for health literacy policy
opportunities
#OralHealthLiteracy
#OrganizationalSystemsandPolicies
#CommunityEngagement