Alliance for Hispanic Health
Sirviendo Junto ~ Serving Together
 
Useful Resources:
NEW HEALTH LITERACY TOOL AVAILABLE

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Item Set for Addressing Health Literacy in English and Spanish. The primary purpose of the CAHPS Item Set for Addressing Health Literacy is to measure, from the patients’ perspective, how well health care professionals communicate with their patients. Only 12 percent of U.S. adults have proficient health literacy. Over one-third of U.S. adults—77 million individuals—could have difficulty with common health tasks such as following directions on a prescription drug label or adhering to a childhood immunization schedule using a standard chart. The Item Set for Addressing Health Literacy offers:

¨ Ability to identify specific topic areas for quality improvement (e.g. communication about test results, medications, and forms);

¨ Measure of health care professionals’ health literacy practices;

¨ Ability to recognize behavior that inhibits effective communication (e.g. talking too fast); and

¨ Assistance in designing a safer, shame-free environment where patients feel comfortable discussing their health concerns (e.g., showing interest in questions).

Click here for access to the tool

IMPROVING HEALTHCARE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY: Evidence shows that effective communication between patients, clinicians, and other health care professionals is a critical component of providing high quality care. Furnishing individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) the means to communicate effectively with their health care providers is critical to improving their experience in the health care setting, the quality of care they receive, and their health outcomes. A report from the Health Research and Educational Trust examines facilitators and barriers to providing language services in California public hospitals.

The report is HERE or on the Web at http://www.hret.org/hret/programs/content/Language-Services-Report.pdf 

1 - Annual Hispanic-American Heritage Month Celebration
     Fiesta Latina dinner and live music co-sponsored by Student Programs
     Weekly lectureship 
     Free Salsa Lesson

 2 - Monthly Community Connections
     Crisis Ministries
     Hands on Health
     Cultural Competency
     Our Lady of Mercy Migrant Workers Outreach

3 - “HABLEMOS” bimonthly Spanish conversational lunch-time hour

4 - Campus-wide drives for Our Lady of Mercy
 School Supply and Uniform Drive, Fall 
 Linen Drive, Spring

 5 - Health Education classes for ESL students at Our Lady of Mercy including
 Cardiovascular health and risk assessment
 Nutrition and health

 6 - Spanish Interpreters
 MUSC C.A.R.E.S. Clinic, three nights weekly
 Fight for Sight Clinics

 7 - Participated in MUSC campus-wide events
 MUSC AIDS Awareness Day
 MUSC Sugar-Free Fall Festival
 MUSC Student Activities Fair