Arkansas Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy
The Arkansas Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy seeks to improve health literacy by
working with people and organizations to address seven goals.
Here are the goals and our strategies to achieve them.
Goal 1: Make health and safety information easy to understand so that people who need it
can get it and use it to take action.
Strategy 1.1: Increase the use of plain language by organizations providing written health
information to the public.
Objective 1: By January 2014, establish a Plain Language Learning Community at the
Arkansas Department of Health. (Jennifer Dillaha, Arkansas Department of Health,
updated 12/20/13)
Objective 2: By December 2013, the Arkansas Cancer Coalition will provide a training
on plain language at a state-wide health focused meeting. (Gail Lowery, Arkansas Cancer
Coalition) [Completed 5/9/13]
Objective 3: By January 1, 2014 (ongoing), provide plain language to students at UAMS.
(Wendy Thompson, UAMS)
Objective 4:
Objective 5: By January 1, 2014 (ongoing), assess health care documents in use at
UAMS to improve readability. (Wendy Thompson, UAMS)
Strategy 1.2: Increase use of teach-back and other spoken communication methods by health
professionals, so that people will understand what action they need to take.
Objective 1: By December 2013, make UAMS health literacy awareness video available
on YouTube (Wendy Thompson, UAMS, Completed 12/20/13)
Objective 2: By February 2014, put the UAMS Teach-Back video on UAMS
Learnondemand.com website. (Wendy Thompson, UAMS, Completed 1/01/14)
Objective 3: By February 1, 2014, provide Teach-Back training to clinicians at UAMS.
(Kristie Hadden, Completed 1/7/14)
Strategy 1.3: Make it easier for people to get health information.
Objective 1: By ___, build a website for teen health information linking authoritative and
easy to use health information. (Jon Goodell, UAMS Library)
6/16/2014
Objective 2: By December 2013, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement will
distribute newsletters to Better Beginnings rated child care centers delivering clear,
concise and useful information on adult immunizations using plain language principles.
(Completed 12/13. Newsletters can be found:
http://www.achi.net/Pages/OurWork/Project.aspx?ID=25)
Objective 3: By December 2013, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement will
distribute useful, clear messages about adult vaccinations to child care consultants at
Arkansas State University and the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education
at Arkansas Department of Human Services to share to all Better Beginnings rated child
care centers across the state. (Completed 12/13. Newsletters can be found:
http://www.achi.net/Pages/OurWork/Project.aspx?ID=25)
Objective 4: By December 2013, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement will share
newsletters and other easy to use information about adult immunizations with Kids
First/Arkansas Children’s Hospital for use on the Healthy Childcare Arkansas website
that reaches child care providers, child care consultants, and parents. (Completed 12/13.
Newsletters can be found: http://www.achi.net/Pages/OurWork/Project.aspx?ID=25)
Objective 5: By February 2014, provide training on how to help older adults get and use
health information. (Jennifer Dillaha, Arkansas Department of Health, 12/20/13)
Goal 2: Make changes that improve the health literacy of the health care system.
Strategy 2.1: Train primary care clinics and other health care organizations in the AHRQ
Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit.
Objective 1: By September 2014, provide at least five presentations on the AHRQ
Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit to professional organizations, training
programs, or clinical staff in health care facilities. (Jennifer Dillaha, Arkansas
Department of Health) [Completed, 12/20/13]
Objective 2: By December 2013, assess all of the UAMS Regional Centers using the
Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit. (Wendy Thompson, UAMS, revised
Completed 8/31/13)
Objective 3: By September 2014, provide training to all of the ADH Local Health Units
on the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit. (Jennifer Dillaha, Arkansas
Department of Health, revised 12/20/13)
Objective 4: By September 2014, provide training to all of the UAMS Regional Centers
using the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit. (Wendy Thompson, UAMS,
revised Completed 8/31/13)
6/16/2014
Strategy 2.2: Include health literacy in hospital discharge planning.
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Strategy 2.3: Include health literacy in health system reforms taking place in Arkansas.
Objective 1: By December 2013, the Arkansas Health Department and the Arkansas
Center for Health Improvement will work with the Arkansas Payment Improvement
Initiative to encourage the integration of health literacy principles into the
Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative milestones and broader PCMH design elements.
(Training completed 9/13)
Objective 2: By September 2013, provide training to the primary care clinics
participating in the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative in the AHRQ Health Literacy
Universal Precautions Toolkit. (Jennifer Dillaha, Arkansas Department of Health)
[Complete 9/20/13]
Objective 3: By October 2014, provide training to the primary care clinics participating
in the Medicaid Patient Centered Medical Home initiative in health literacy. (Jennifer
Dillaha, Arkansas Department of Health, 12/20/13)
Strategy 2.4: Include health literacy in curriculum for students in health professional schools
in Arkansas.
Objective 1: By September 1, 2014, initiate an elective course in health literacy for
students at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Kristie Hadden, UAMS,
12/20/13)
Objective 2: By September 2013, include health literacy in the curricula for nursing and
health-related professions at College of Nursing & Health Professions at Arkansas State
University (Angela Schmidt, ASU, 06/21/13)
Objective 3:
Goal 3: Include health literacy in the lessons plans for all children in Arkansas, from
infants through college students.
Strategy 3.1: Expand infant home visiting programs in Arkansas.
6/16/2014
Objective 1: By ______, expand the use of evidence-based infant home visiting models
in Arkansas. (Scott Gordon, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, 12/20/13)
Objective 2: By ______, provide training to _____ (?Kathy Pillow-Price, Arkansas
Home Visiting Network, 12/20/13)
Objective 3: By ______ , provide training to ____ teen and adult parents. (?Tammy
Gray, Arkansas Parent Education Network, 01/00/14)
Strategy 3.2: Expand the use of health literacy programs in child care and early childhood
education.
Objective 1: By July 2014, expand the use of Reach Out and Read in Arkansas.
Action Step: UAMS Regional Centers Outreach Directors will promote and track
implementation of Reach Out and Read in their communities around the state.
(Wendy Thompson, UAMS, Ongoing 12/20/13)
Objective 2: Tonya Russell, DHS Division of Childcare and Early Childhood Education,
?
Objective 3: Head Start?
Strategy 3.3: Expand the use of K-12 health education curricula that build health literacy
skills.
Objective 1: By December 2014, expand the use of Health Teacher to Arkansas public
and Catholic schools. (?, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, 6/21/13)
Action Step: UAMS Regional Centers Outreach Directors will promote and track
implementation of HealthTeacher.com in their communities around the state.
(Wendy Thompson, UAMS, Ongoing 12/20/13)
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Strategy 3.4: Implement a general education course in health literacy in two and four-year
colleges and universities in Arkansas.
Objective 1: By July 2015, develop a health literacy/financial literacy general education
class for historically black colleges in Arkansas. (Jennifer Dillaha, Arkansas Department
of Health)
Objective 2:
6/16/2014
Objective 3:
Goal 4: Work with the adult education system and other organizations in Arkansas to
improve the health literacy of the people in the communities they serve.
Strategy 4.1: Expand the use of health literacy lessons in the curricula used in Arkansas to
teach reading and English as a second language.
Objective 1: By [date], implement the Staying Healthy curriculum in [how many?]
literacy councils in Arkansas. (Nancy Leonhardt, Arkansas Literacy Councils, 1/00/14)
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Strategy 4.2: Establish partnerships between health care providers and adult education
providers to improve the health literacy of the people in the communities they serve.
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Strategy 4.3: Expand the use of health literacy curricula by health care and service
organizations in their community outreach.
Objective 1: By July 2014, implement the use of What to Do for Senior Health in
outreach to older adults and their caregivers. (Jennifer Dillaha, Arkansas Department of
Health)
Action Step: By December 2013, Northeast Arkansas Center on Aging will
complete a pilot using this book. (Beverly Parker, Northeast Arkansas Center on
Aging)
Action Step: By July 2014, PHLA in partnership with the Arkansas Cancer
Coalition will complete a project using the book. (Jennifer Dillaha, ADH,
12/20/13)
Action Step: By May 1, 2014, UAMS Regional Center Outreach Directors will
provide trainings to seniors in their communities using the What to Do for Senior
Health books. (Wendy Thompson, UAMS, 2/18/14)
Objective 2: By [date], expand the sites in Arkansas using the Stanford Chronic Disease
Self-Management Program. (Jennifer Dillaha, Arkansas Department of Health)
6/16/2014
Objective 3:
Goal 5: Build a network of health literacy partners committed to making changes at their
organizations that will improve health literacy in Arkansas.
Strategy 5.1: Increase the number of engaged members in the Partnership.
Objective 1: By July 2014, increase the membership by 10 percent. (Jennifer Dillaha,
Arkansas Department of Health)
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Strategy 5.2: Assist change agents in each of the key agencies, organizations and systems
that can affect health literacy in Arkansas.
Objective 1: By December 2013, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement will share
easy-to-use newsletters on adult immunizations with Arkansas Department of Education
for use with school nurses and within school wellness centers. (Completed 12/13.
Newsletters can be found: http://www.achi.net/Pages/OurWork/Project.aspx?ID=25)
Objective 2: By December 2013, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement will partner
with UA Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service to include an
immunization education module in their Best Care Connect online courses for child care
providers that uses plain language principles. (Completed 12/13. Information found:
http://www.arfamilies.org/child_care/connected/default.htm)
Objective 3:
Strategy 5.3: Establish working relationships with change agents in other states to learn from
their experiences.
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Goal 6: Do research to better understand and measure what works to improve health
literacy of the public and the health care system.
6/16/2014
Strategy 6.1: Increase the number of research projects in Arkansas that include health
literacy.
Objective 1: By July 2014, UAMS Regional Programs will conduct at least one research
project each year that includes health literacy as a primary variable of interest. (Kristie
Hadden, UAMS College of Medicine & Regional Programs)
Objective 3: By [date], conduct at least one survey each year using the AHRQ Consumer
Health Assessment of Health Care Providers (CAHPS) Item Set for Health Literacy and
Cultural Competence. (Isis Martel, UAMS Center for Rural Health)
Strategy 6.2: Increase the number of faculty members and the number of institutions that are
engaged in health literacy research.
Objective 1: By July 2014, the Health Literacy Research Think Tank work group will
develop and implement at least 4 continuing education opportunities for faculty
researchers that focus on health literacy research methodology. Completed (Kristie
Hadden, UAMS Regional Programs & Translational Research Institute)
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Strategy 6.3: Increase the amount of funding awarded for conducting health literacy
research.
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Goal 7: Share and promote the use of health literacy practices that are based on the best
science available.
Strategy 7.1: Increase the number of websites that include information on health literacy
best practices.
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
6/16/2014
Strategy 7.2: Increase the number of written publications promoting best practices in health
literacy.
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Strategy 7.3: Provide presentations about best practices in health literacy.
Objective 1: By January 1, 2015 Kristie Hadden will conduct one presentation every
quarter to audiences around the state that include health literacy best practices. (Kristie
Hadden, UAMS Regional Programs)
Objective 2: By June 2014, the Arkansas Cancer Coalition will assist with planning,
staffing, and financially supporting the 2014 PHLA Mid-Winter Conference to provide
health literacy training to health professionals. (Gail Lowery, Arkansas Cancer Coalition)
Objective 3:
6/16/2014