Symposium:
Stake Your Claim to Health Literacy

Wednesday, January 28, 2004
8:00am-5:30pm

Promotional Flyer available

If the topics of health literacy or health information literacy are not yet on your radar, you have another opportunity at Joint Meeting 2004 to find out more about them, and about how you can become involved in enhancing these literacies in your health information environment.

The day-long, regional symposium will focus on language and cultural access to health information. It is co-sponsored by the Pacific Southwest Regional Medical Library and the Medical Library Association NCNMLG, MLGSCA, and PNC Chapters. The goals for the symposium are to build on the foundation provided by the recent MLA satellite teleconference, Reading Between the Lines: Focusing on Health Information Literacy; to provide participants with practical tools and skills, and to help them identify specific actions they can take in support of clear communication and improving access to resources that are linguistically and culturally appropriate.

Program Schedule

8:00am-9:00am	Registration/Continental Breakfast
9:00am-9:50am	Opening Speakers Putting Information into Health Literacy Neil Rambo, NN/LM Pacific Northwest Region NLM, MedlinePlus, and Health Literacy Joyce Backus, National Library of Medicine
9:50am-10:45am	Keynote Address Health Literacy: Research, Education, Practice, and Policy Dr. Dean Schillinger, Soros Foundation Fellow
10:45am-11:00am	BREAK
11:00am-12noon	Panel Choosing Appropriate Materials: Addressing Format, Readability, Language and Culture Marilyn Hall (Moderator), San Diego State University Sabrina Kurtz-Rossi, Literacy Division, World Education Christine Wilson Owens, Ethnomed Audrey Riffenburgh, The Clear Language Group Beth Wescott, NN/LM Southeastern/Atlantic Region
12noon-1:15pm	LUNCH (roundtable discussions)
1:15pm-2:15pm	BREAKOUT Session #1 1.1) Readability Tools; 1.2) Regulations, Standards, and Financial Impact; 1.3) Cultural Considerations; and 1.4) Non-Print Resources.
2:15pm-3:15pm	BREAKOUT Session #2 2.1) Readability Tools; 2.2) Regulations, Standards, and Financial Impact; 2.3) Cultural Considerations; and 2.4) Non-Print Resources.
3:15pm-3:30pm	BREAK
3:30pm-4:00pm	Vendor Presentations
4:00pm-4:30pm	Wrap-up and Evaluations
4:30pm-5:00pm	Reception (light refreshment provided)

Cost for this one-day event is $35.00, which includes a continental breakfast, breaks, and lunch. Register for the symposium on the Joint Meeting 2004 registration form; you do not need to attend the other days of the Joint Meeting to register for the symposium. Additional information on meal and breakout session choices will be sent to registrants in early January. MLA CE credit will be offered.

Please consider inviting a colleague from your organization to join you for what promises to be an event not to miss!

Heidi Sandstrom, Interim Associate Director
Pacific Southwest Regional Medical Library