Issue 16                                                                                          Fall 2023 

Celebrating Health Literacy Month

Did you know October is Health Literacy Month? Well, it is! Based on its founder’s description, Health Literacy Month is “a time when health literacy advocates around the world promote the importance of making health information understandable.” The goal is to draw attention to issues surrounding, and foster interorganizational conversations about, health literacy.  

So, what is health literacy? As defined by Healthy People 2030, personal health literacy relates to an individual’s ability to access, understand, and use health information in order to make well-informed decisions about their health. Organizational health literacy pertains to how organizations equitably empower individuals to access, understand, and use health information to make health decisions. With these new descriptions, the emphasis is placed on an individual’s ability to actually use health information, making the conversation surrounding health literacy more client/patient based, and, in turn, more centered on equity.

To learn more about health literacy, visit Health Literacy: Accurate, Accessible and Actionable Health Information for All | Health Literacy | CDC. 

If you'd like to download a copy of this flyer, please click here.

Support LGBTQ+ Youth through the Common Goodness Project Community of Practice

The Community of Practice for adults in NW Washington counties is taking shape this fall. The project will co-create an online space to share struggles and successes, resources and opportunities in supporting LGBTQ+ youth. Each month there will be a brief time of sharing information, updates, opportunities or new resources. Then the group will work together to trouble-shoot the challenges you keep bumping up against. The team will share strategies that have worked, make space for important (and sometimes intimidating questions), and support each other in the sometimes lonely work of standing in the gap for LGBTQ+ youth. 

For more information and to sign up for the email list, visit Community of Practice | Common Goodness Project. Meetings will take place the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 1-2 p.m. beginning on October 17th. 

Staying Healthy during Respiratory Illness Season

Respiratory virus season which includes influenza virus (Flu), respiratory syntactical virus (RSV), and COVID-19, is upon us! Here are some steps to take to avoid getting and spreading respiratory illnesses:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Wash hands frequently for at least 20 seconds.
• Stay home as much as possible when sick and keeping children home from school or daycare. Test for COVID-19 and follow guidance.
• Wear a mask when you are in crowded indoor spaces.
• Stay up to date on immunizations with this year's updated Flu and COVID-19 vaccines as well as RSV if you are 60 years and older.
• Stay in the know with CDC Respiratory Virus updates as well as DOH’s new Respiratory Illness Data Dashboard and share best practices with those in your community.
• CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness this fall and winter. Consult your healthcare provider for further guidance.

Reminder: The Washington State Department of Health hosts vaccination events across the state through their mobile Care-A-Van health clinic offering a variety of vaccines and services. Look to their website for further details about upcoming events and how to request their service.

If you'd like to download a copy of this flyer, please click here.