College to Host Health Literacy Workshop in October

Published 09.11.2008

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Michael K. HuffHelen OsborneThe School of Health Sciences and Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Technology will sponsor a health literacy workshop on Oct. 3.

The workshop, titled "What It Is, Why It Matters, How You Can Help," will be offered from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. in Penn's Inn on the second floor of the Bush Campus Center. The $55 cost includes lunch at the college's Le Jeune Chef Restaurant.

Funding for the workshop is being provided by the Lycoming County Health Improvement Coalition via a Pennsylvania Department of Health grant and Susquehanna Health.

The workshop presenter is Helen Osborne, president of Health Literacy Consulting and founder of Health Literacy Month. She has written numerous books and received many awards for her work in health literacy.

Michael K. Huff, deputy secretary for health planning and assessment with the state Department of Health, will give the welcome. As part of his duties, he oversees the development and implementation of a statewide health plan and the coordination of public-health programs.

Workshop topics include an overview of health literacy; plain language: organization, tone and measuring understanding; pictographs; metaphors; and putting health literacy into practice. The final half-hour includes a special session for librarians on case-study application.

Contact hours for continuing education will be awarded. Susquehanna Health will award 4.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits to physicians who attend the workshop. Penn College, through the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, will award 4.5 contact hours for nurses in attendance. The American Occupational Therapy Association Inc. will award five contact hours (or .5 AOTA CEUs) for the subjects of communications and advocacy.

For more information or to register, contact WDCE at (570) 327-4775 or e-mail . More information, including a full brochure, is available online .

For more information about Penn College, visit on the Web , e-mail or call toll-free (800) 367-9222.