Advancing Health Literacy in Marion County - Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County d/b/a Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) requests funding from the Department of Health and Human Services to advance health literacy in Marion County, Indiana. Racial and ethnic minorities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 in Marion County; however, since December 2020, the majority of individuals vaccinated against the disease have been non-Hispanic White (61%), while only 18% have been non-Hispanic Black and 4% have been Hispanic5. These disparities underscore the importance of addressing barriers that racial and ethnic communities face when accessing health care and COVID-19 services. A notable barrier that racial and ethnic minorities experience is low health literacy, and limited English proficiency is likely an important factor contributing to low health literacy, especially among Hispanic individuals. As such, further engaging racial and ethnic minority communities through public health messaging and approaches to promote COVID-19 public health recommendations is essential to eliminate health disparities in Marion County. The primary goals for the project include: 1) convening a coalition of stakeholders to develop, implement, and evaluate a health literacy plan for Indianapolis/Marion County and 2) increasing the understanding of health literacy in relation to COVID-19. MCPHD will work with key stakeholders to identify evidence-based health literacy models, improve the skills of healthcare providers, and identify strategies to communicate population-based health education messages more efficiently. MCPHD, through its strategic partnerships will also develop, test, implement, and evaluate a plan to assess public education materials for readability, suitability, and comprehensibility, and educate the target population about COVID-19 prevention and mitigation.
