Horowitz Center for Health Literacy
The Center provides research, education, and service to improve health literacy at the individual, family, community, organization, and society levels. We aim to advance health literacy in Maryland and nationwide.
Four resources ground our work: Healthy People 2030 health literacy definitions, Federal Plain Language Guidelines, CDC's Clear Communication Index, and Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards.
The Center was endowed and honors the legacy of Dr. Herschel S. Horowitz, a prominent scientist, educator, and public health advocate.
Upcoming Events
January 13, 2024 @ 10am ET | Webinar: Health literacy criteria for grants, contracts, and media campaigns
Speaker: Dr. Cynthia E Baur, Director, Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, Maryland Consumer Health Information Hub
Join us to learn about two new tools to help Maryland state and local agencies apply health literacy criteria to campaigns, grants, and contracts. The Hub law states that agencies that sponsor media campaigns or issue grants and contracts with health information and communication activities also include health literacy criteria. Agencies must submit their campaigns, contract, and grant documents to the Hub team for review. We will review the criteria, tools, and review process. Make sure you are not creating or reinforcing health literacy barriers! Register here.
February 3, 2024 @ 10am ET | Webinar: Health principles and toolkits for Health Start
Speaker: Dr. Catherine Maybury, MD InfoHub Manager, Horowitz Center for Health Literacy
Early childhood programs play an important role in making sure children and their caregivers understand and have equal access to health-related information and services. The Horowitz Center for Health Literacy and Head Start’s National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety (NCHBHS) are working together on health literacy guiding principles and toolkits to help Head Start, a vital program for families with young children, put health literacy into practice. Learn more about health literacy approaches for early childhood programs. Register here.
What's New
2025-2028 Doctoral Research Assistantship
Applicants to UMD doctoral programs in public health, communication, information studies, or journalism for Fall 2025 are eligible to apply for a doctoral assistantship. We will consider and aim to select one accepted doctoral student with a strong commitment to health communication and health literacy scholarship. Our student page has more information.
Director Cynthia Baur Talks about the Hub on the Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast
Listen as Dr. Baur and Helen Osborne discuss the Maryland Consumer Health Information Hub and why policy initiatives are so important to advance health literacy. Putting Health Literacy Policy into Practice: How the Maryland Consumer Health Information Hub is Making This Happen (HLOL #251)
BCH Student Tatum Cox Recognized for Health Literacy Capstone Project
Tatum Cox, MPH '24, received the Meritorious MPH Capstone Project Award from the Department of Behavioral and Community Health for her capstone project on health literacy barriers for pregnant Latina women and opportunities to improve services. The project title is Organizational Health Literacy Assessment of Maternal Health Services for Pregnant Latina Women in the Maryland Mid Shore. Tatum researched prenatal services available to Latina women and recommended changes to remove health literacy barriers. Congratulations Tatum!
Why Health Literacy is a Core Educational Competency
Chancellor Jay Perman, MD
Dr. Perman recorded the video below to open the first-ever meeting of University System of Maryland (USM) campus representatives to discuss health literacy educational activities. He explained his own experience seeing health literacy issues up close as a practicing pediatric gastroenterologist and the significance of health literacy as part of a USM education. The USM group intends to meet twice a year to share information and best practices in health literacy education and student opportunities.
Horowitz Center COVID-19 communications work
The Center provides health literacy and risk communication expertise on COVID-19. We use mass and social media, public presentations, community outreach, and expert consults.
Latest News
Featured Projects
HealthyMe/MiSalud
The Center is funded by NIH to develop and test HealthyMe/MiSalud, a smartphone application in English and Spanish to help African American and Hispanic adults set health goals, ask questions, and get personalized information about common health conditions and preventive services.
Diabetes Prevention
The Center leads and participates in multiple diabetes prevention projects in Maryland. We work with the Maryland Department of Health, local health departments, and Local Health Improvement Coalitions to implement the Maryland Diabetes Action Plan.
Oral Health
The Center leads and participates in many projects to educate the public, providers, and policymakers about oral health diseases and conditions and how to prevent them.