Today’s post is by Karyn Pomerantz who will be a regular member of our blogging team. Karyn works for the School of Public Health and Health Services at The George Washington University where she teaches, provides professional development programs, and advises students about their practicums. For the last 10 years with funding from the National Library of Medicine, she has organized community health information outreach and trainings to teach people how to understand personal and community health issues using the Internet. October is National Health Literacy month and here she recognizes organizations that have partnered with her organization, Health Information Partners (HIPS).
Health Information Partners (HIPS) promotes equality in online health information access and use, and addresses health literacy. It helps adult learners and others learn how to find, evaluate, and apply quality health information to themselves. HIPS collaborators include health, library and literacy practitioners. This year, HIPS is awarding mini-grants to 16 organizations and 3 individuals to teach health information workshops to their peers and participants.
In observance of Health Literacy Month, HIPS congratulates our partners for their excellent work:
Citiwide Computer Center teaching MedlinePlus to its learners
The Excel Institute showing the H1N1 interactive tutorial to all students
Kayla’s Village teaching parenting and child health websites to collaborative members
P.I. Advocates – teaching HIV and other health information at the DC Public Library
The Women’s Collective sharing women’s heart health information with its members
VIDA developing a manual and basic computer classes in Spanish for its seniors
Greater Baden Medical System designing a curriculum for patients
Boat People SOS – demonstrating Vietnamese language health information at a community meeting and fair
Dimensions Senior Center (KEEP Program) – teaching seniors how to access MedlinePlus
Doar Educational Foundation sharing teen health sites with its students
Emmaus Services for the Aging conducting workshops for seniors
Bread for the City teaching nutrition resources to its patients
Prince George’s County Library in Hyattsville teaching workshops for seniors with library school students from the University of Maryland
Spanish Catholic Center teaching patients online health resources
Gospel Rescue Mission including health information resources in its GED classes
Homes for Hope teaching HIV and other health information to residents living with HIV
Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association’s Community Health Advocates conducting monthly outreach and classes on HIV information in Ward 8 and nearby neighborhoods
HIPS is available to conduct health information workshops for your organization as well. It is funded by the National Library of Medicine.
