Scenes from the Conference...A Photo Review of IHA's Seventh Annual Health Literacy Conference
Judging by the evaluations turned in by conference attendees, the 7th Annual IHA Health Literacy Conference was a great success, both as a learning opportunity and an experience. One of the many highlights was the inspirational and profoundly personal message delivered by Richard H. Carmona, M.D., MPH, FACS, 17th Surgeon General of the United States (2002-2006). But you told us another rewarding aspect was being among more than 350 of your colleagues, talking about your work, your challenges, sharing your research and program innovations in the poster session, applauding the health literacy award winners, networking at lunch, and enjoying the sunny Southern California weather.
Here are some photos from this year's conference. For those who attended, a reminder of the experience and a chance to see if you can spot yourself in some of the group shots. For those who could not join us, a taste of the event to entice you to join us in 2009...
IHA CEO Gloria Mayer (above left) welcomed attendees to the conference and introduced Dr. Carmona, the opening keynote speaker, who provided a riveting talk. Click here to read an overview of all the general sessions and selected breakout sessions, plus see pictures of the speakers.
One of our proudest moments at each conference is when we give out the annual IHA Health Literacy Awards. This year, we received more than 80 nominations in three categories: Research, Published Materials, and Innovative Programs.
Here's a close-up view of the plaque itself, which is shaped like a book, standing outside its box just prior to presentation. The award winners above (l-r, IHA CEO Gloria Mayer; winners of the award for Published Materials for the Medi-Cal Access Project Beccah Rothschild, Linda Neuhauser, and Leslie Holzman; winner of the Research award for the Aetna Asthma Health Literacy research study, Dexter Campinha-Bacote; Innovative Program award winner Joanna Drummond for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield's Hair, Heart and Health project; and IHA's Programs Director Michael Villaire. Click here to read more about each award.
Attendees at the conference have an opportunity to pose questions to speakers after each session, and this year was no exception. These question-and-answer sessions after each session provide a wonderful opportunity to initiate a dialogue, pose questions that have been issues for attendees in their own practices, and to "pick the brain" of nationally recognized speakers on issues of interest.
Another highlight of the IHA Health Literacy Conference is the Poster Session, which takes place after the first day's speakers on Thursday evening. The Poster Session is held during the Opening Night Reception, which allows for a less formal interaction among attendees and between poster presenters and attendees. Here are pictures of our 2008 poster presenters. Congratulations to every one of them for a job well done!
And, we would like to extend our grateful appreciation to our exhibitors, who both helped support our conference and provided valuable information on products and services to enhance attendees' practices. The exhibitors represented a mix of non-profit and for-profit entities, and were all provided with time to interact with those in attendance.
