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East County News Service
October 12, 2023 (La Mesa) – In recognition of Health Literacy Month, the Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) is hosting a day of learning about the importance of communicating and understanding health information.
“Health literacy refers to a person’s ability to find, understand and use the information and services they need to make informed decisions about their own health,” says GHD’s Chief Community Health Officer Amy Abrams. It is widely recognized as a critical issue that results in higher rates of hospitalization, less compliance with treatment recommendations, and poorer health outcomes.
Addressing health literacy gaps in the communities of San Diego’s East County is one of the District’s strategic objectives. “The rich diversity of our region requires that providers learn to communicate health information effectively with people whose English-language skills are limited, or who are newly arrived to this country and may not understand how our health care system works,” says Abrams.
To support this effort, GHD’s Health & Wellness Library is hosting a free morning training on Friday October 13th for local health care professionals called “Paging Dr. Google,” which will introduce impact of low health literacy on health outcomes, and ways to help patients find and understand reliable health information. The training is available to providers in any health or human services setting who communicate health information.
Later that day, an East County Health & Community Resource Fair will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. at the GHD district campus in La Mesa. More than 20 local nonprofit providers of health and wellness services will be on hand to share information with East County residents, and answer questions. This event is free and open to the public.
More details about Health Literacy Day are available at https://www.grossmonthealthcare.org/community/health-literacy-day/.
The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) is a public agency created in 1952 that supports the health and wellness of East County through oversight of the Sharp Grossmont Hospital, the operation of a public Health & Wellness library, healthcare career scholarships for local students, and a community grants and sponsorships program. The District is governed by an elected Board of Directors who represent approximately 520,000 people residing within 750 square miles.
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