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
Register Now! College Park and Cambridge, MD March Hub Meetings
Stay up to date on plain language and language access progress in Maryland. The Maryland Consumer Health Information Hub will meet March 12th in College Park and March 26th in Cambridge to network, learn, and share information. Anyone interested in plain language, language access, and public information can attend.
Choose the most convenient date and location. Register now for the College Park or Cambridge meeting. The meeting is free.
Networking begins at 10AM, and the meeting ends at 3:30 PM. See the College Park agenda or Cambridge agenda.
What's New
Earn the Undergraduate Health Literacy Badge
The UMD School of Public Health (SPH) prepares its undergraduate students with a comprehensive range of public health practitioner skills, equipping them to work in diverse settings and contexts. As part of this preparation, the Health Literacy Badge is a co-curricular activity for SPH undergraduates that includes 10 hours of activities: 8 required and 2 optional hours, which aligns with the 10 Essential Public Health Services on the need for public health organizations to communicate effectively to inform and educate the public. View badge here.
Maryland Plain Language Action Planning Guide
The Maryland Plain Language Action Planning Guide is intended to help your organization create a Plain Language and Language Access Action Plan. Every organization that provides public information needs to plan to make sure all its information is in plain language and accessible in the languages people use. The October 2024 webinar provides more information.
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.