Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health received the 2021 Health Literacy Award from the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA) in the published materials category. This coveted award recognizes our ongoing COVID-19 communications in the “Busy Beaver,” a publication serving local Amish and Plain communities.
An important part of health literacy is the practice of using simple language, delivered with cultural sensitivity, to provide important health and safety information that is accurate, accessible and actionable by all.
“Forging a trusting relationship with individuals is key to building a foundation that is conducive to learning and decision making. Our communications with our Amish/Plain neighbors were a collaborative effort, utilizing existing venues to answer questions and convey medical information in a user-friendly format,” said Rosemary Search, RN, BSN, health promotion specialist, Community Health.
Haley Fuller, CHES, a patient education specialist with LG Health’s Community Care Collaborative, added, “The importance of communicating clearly expands past the walls of our facilities and into the communities we serve. This project is a great example of working with our community members to create culturally relevant, scientifically sound, and health-literate communications.”