Fourth Annual Health Literacy Conference Scheduled
For May 5-6, 2005 in Irvine, Calif.
-- Leading Experts to Discuss Culture, Language and Low Health Literacy --
La Habra, Calif. – February 16, 2005 – The Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA), a non-profit organization that provides a wide variety of educational and community healthcare services, will host its fourth annual health literacy conference on May 5th and 6th at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Irvine, Calif.
The theme of this year’s event will be Culture, Language and Clinical Issues: Operational Solutions to Low Health Literacy. The conference will once again bring together some of the nation’s foremost authorities on the subject of health literacy for a critical review of the most innovative and effective solutions to improve health literacy in the U.S. Emphasis in this year’s conference is on how culture and language affect healthcare communication. Among the faculty members confirmed are the following:
· Barry D. Weiss, M.D., University of Arizona College of Medicine;
· Cathy D. Meade, Ph.D., R.N., H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute;
· Rima E. Rudd, Sc.D., Behavioral Health Committee on Health Literacy;
· Joanne Schwartzberg, M.D., American Medical Association; and
· Janet Ohene-Frempong, M.S., Frempong & Associates.
The conference is designed for professionals working in healthcare or health literacy, as well as individuals with an interest in literacy as it relates to healthcare challenges. Each attendee will receive a free copy of each of the five books in the IHA’s award-winning “What To Do For Health” series of self-help health books designed to promote health literacy.
“The 2005 conference should be our best one yet, with a number of exciting plenary sessions on topics of interest to the health literacy community, as well as breakout sessions featuring new research presentations, policy roundtables and various skill building sessions,” said Gloria Mayer, R.N., Ed.D., president of IHA and a member of the conference faculty.
According to Mayer, there will also be a unique “poster session” at the Health Literacy Conference for the first time next year. The purpose is to offer individuals an opportunity to provide a visual presentation of recent findings regarding health literacy, combined with informal discussion between the presenters and the attendees at the conference. Poster authors will hold impromptu discussions with conference registrants who will be circulating among the poster boards on display. For more information about the guidelines for the poster session and for details regarding the 2005 conference, please go to www.iha4health.org.
The Institute for Healthcare Advancement is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing healthcare delivery through demonstration of innovative healthcare practices and education of healthcare professionals and consumers. The Institute provides healthcare information with particular emphasis on and attention to health literacy issues. It publishes the “What To Do For Health” book series, all written at a 3rd to 5th grade reading level, and available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. It also operates the Friends of Children Health Center, a model community medical and dental clinics providing low cost care for needy and uninsured youngsters in La Habra, Calif.
The IHA is headquartered at 501 S. Idaho St., Suite 300, La Habra, CA 90631; 1-800-434-4633. For more information, go to the Institute’s Web site at http://www.iha4health.org.
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