Accreditation: Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit: OHSU School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 5.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

OHSU is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Oregon Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

Reflections From the Past Year

Megan Pugmire, B.A.
Vice President, OHSU Brand Experience, Marketing, and Communications

Welcome - OHSU Health Literacy Symposium

Shereef Elnahal, M.D., MBA
OHSU President

Panel Discussion: Patient and Caregiver Perspectives on Clear Communication

Moderators: Paul Bollinger, M.P.H. & Keren McCord, L.C.S.W., OSW-C 
Panelists: Jennifer Martin, J.D., B.A., Craig Moritz, B.A. & Kate Tuominen, B.A. 

“Does That Make Sense?” Reliance on Patients’ Self-reported Understanding Undermines Quality and Safety

Cliff Coleman, M.D., MPH
Professor of Family Medicine
Doris & Mark Storms Chair in Compassionate Communication, OHSU Center for Ethics in Health Care
Clinical Thread Director for Professionalism, Ethics, and Communication, OHSU School of Medicine
Chair, Institutional Health Literacy Workgroup

Summary and Next Steps

Banning Hendriks, MBA
Vice President, OHSU Patient Experience and Relations

What Motivates and Helps Organizations Move Along the Health Literacy Path? 

Cynthia Baur, Ph.D.
Endowed Chair and Director, Horowitz Center for Health Literacy
School of Public Health, University of Maryland

Concurrent Workshop Sessions A

Topic: Beyond Access: Cultural Literacy, Trust and Indigenous Navigation in Oncology Care 
Keren McCord, LCSW, OHSU Knight Cancer Patient and Family Service Department Manager
Pearl Rose, Indigenous Community Oncology Patient Navigator, OHSU Knight Cancer

Topic: Beyond Informed Consent - Ethical Research Dissemination  
Larissa Yoshino, MPH, Data and Communication Manager
University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Topic: From Jargon to Plain Language: Code Switching in Spoken and Written Communication with Patients 
Cliff Coleman, M.D., MPH
Doris & Mark Storms Chair in Compassionate Communication, OHSU Center for Ethics in Health Care
Clinical Thread Director for Professionalism, Ethics and Communication, OHSU School of Medicine
Chair, Institutional Health Literacy Workgroup

Concurrent Workshop Sessions B

Topic: Using a Plain Language Checklist to Streamline Clear Communication 
Cynthia Baur, Ph.D.
Endowed Chair and Director, Horowitz Center for Health Literacy
School of Public Health, University of Maryland

Topic: Language Access is Health Literacy: Creating Equitable Communication for Every Patient 
Mariana Phipps, Healthcare Communications
Cheryl Rose, Healthcare Communications
Armando Jimenez, Director of Language Services

Topic: AI Literacy in Health Communication: Skills for Patients and Clinicians 
Kristin Whitman, M.A.C.I., M.L.I.S., OHSU Library
David Carson, M.M., M.L.I.S., OHSU Library 

The inaugural OHSU Health Literacy Symposium was held on Thursday, October 23 and showcased clear communication strategies and campus projects to more effectively engage with patients, research participants, and community members across OHSU’s many programs. OHSU faculty, staff, learners and administrators were inspired by innovative approaches to help OHSU reach the ambitious goal of becoming a model health literate organization. The symposium aimed to help attendees:

• Describe organizational health literacy and describe the elements of a health literate organization.
• Identify current communication barriers that affect health-related outcomes.
• Identify clear communication strategies to improve equitable access to understandable information in clinical, educational, and research settings.

The event featured eight academic research and project posters, two plenary sessions, and six mini workshops. More than 130 people attended the symposium, with attendees from OHSU, local and state health care organizations, and out-of-state guests. 

View the 2025 symposium program here. 

View the Symposium Opening and Keynote recording here.

View Evaluating the Health Literacy Environment and Care recording here.

View How Do We Know? Modeling, Training, and Evaluating Teach back for Learners in Health Settings recording here.

The inaugural OHSU Health Literacy Symposium was held on Thursday, October 17 and showcased clear communication strategies and campus projects to more effectively engage with patients, research participants, and community members across OHSU’s many programs. OHSU faculty, staff, learners and administrators were inspired by innovative approaches to help OHSU reach the ambitious goal of becoming a model health literate organization. The symposium aimed to help attendees:

• Describe organizational health literacy and describe the elements of a health literate organization.
• Identify current communication barriers that affect health-related outcomes.
• Identify clear communication strategies to improve equitable access to understandable information in clinical, educational, and research settings.

The event featured eight academic research and project posters, and nine projects across all mission areas in the breakout sessions. More than 130 people attended the symposium, including members who joined virtually from Klamath Falls, Scappoose, Bend, and Colorado. 

View the 2024 symposium program here. 

View the OHSU Now post recapping the event here.