State launches health literacy initiative
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health is launching a statewide health literacy initiative to make health information clearer and easier to understand.
The department has hired a health literacy specialist to support this work. The specialist will identify needs and current successes, design a process to review written and digital communication, and oversee the creation of e-learning to train New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) staff. The work will be accomplished by partnering across the organization and with several state health councils.
“Health literacy is essential to achieving positive health outcomes,” said Susan Garcia, NMDOH director of community engagement and equity. “This is about making health information clear and accessible so every New Mexican can make informed decisions about their own care and their families.”
The effort coincides with October being Health Literacy Month. Started in 1999, Health Literacy Month brings awareness to the challenges most Americans experience reading, understanding, and acting on health information.
“Health Literacy isn’t the same as literacy or English language fluency,” said Susana Rinderle, NMDOH health literacy specialist. “It’s about making sure healthcare providers communicate clearly, while accounting for factors like stress, cultural differences, age, neurodivergence, and education levels.”
Personal health literacy empowers people to ask informed questions, raise relevant issues, and participate actively in their care. Organizational health literacy increases access to care, quality of care, health outcomes, equity, and reduces costs.
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El Estado lanza una iniciativa para mejorar alfabetización sobre salud