Health Information Partners
Partners for Health Information – links to health web sites:
http://www.gwumc.edu/partners/

Health Information Partners, the health literacy coalition:
http://connectforhealth.gwu.edu

Anticipated Project(s): Teaching Health Literacy
Health Information Partners is teaching health literacy at TWO different community sites:
1. Academy of Hope
2. Max Robinson Health Center

Past Projects:
The 2008-09 Health Information Partners team supported two sites: 1) the Academy of Hope, an adult education center, and 2) the Max Robinson Health Center, the Whitman Walker Clinic's regional center which serves the community east of the Anacostia River.

Team members at the Academy of Hope planned and taught a science course to pre-GED students. The course emphasized environmental health issues and included classroom exercises, utilization of computers to identify reliable health information, and projects that challenged students to meet objectives that will help them succeed on their GED tests.

Past projects included: visiting and coaching patients for two hours on a bi-weekly or weekly basis at 5 different health centers; giving health talks on blood pressure, breast cancer, diabetes, and nutrition at public libraries and health centers; staffing health fairs at the Washington Highlands Library; conducting a survey of people’s Internet use; designing an evaluation of people’s experience with online health information; and creating signs, brochures, and handouts to encourage people to research health online.

Site Description:
Health Information Partners teaches the public how to use online health information to promote personal and community health.  It includes library, literacy and health practitioners who work in adult education, clinical, and public settings.  HIPS holds classes for the public and literacy students, visits health centers where computers are provided for patients, and staffs health fairs and street outreach. 

In the summer 2009, HIPS funded 16 organizations to conduct health information workshops for their participants.

For 8 years, GW students and faculty have conducted health information classes for clients at the Max Wellness Center, and since 2007 they have taught in the AOH GED program.

Additional Information

Partners for Health Information 2001-02