NMPHI has begun to offer workshops! We will expand these offerings to include various aspects of personal and public health. For now, we are beginning with our series of workshops for young participants around adolescent health.

adolescent health

As part of our mission, we want to educate and empower the youth in our community! In addition to exposing them to new potential careers in healthcare, we also want to help them with their own health and medical needs. We provide training, education and advice, as well as basic medical services and access to more health resources.

These communities need assistance in understanding and navigating through the complex U.S. health care system. The following are skills are essential for patients to be health literate:

• Communicate health problems to providers and understand health information being  conveyed
• Read prescription instructions, understand and follow treatment regimens
• Read and understand warning labels to recognize potentially life-threatening complications and side effects of medication being prescribed
• Device self-care strategies and manage their health independently
• Read and understand necessary documents such as health insurance forms, informed consent, and treatment plans.

Limited health literacy result in poor health outcomes and higher health costs. Large number of immigrant and refugee communities have difficulties understanding complex medical terminologies, have hard time understanding the English language, struggle with filling out medical forms, or have limited access or knowledge of healthcare providers in Androscoggin County.

Thus, health care literacy is a vital component in the effort to decrease barriers to healthcare access and disparities. With proper training of health care professionals, the staff at NMPHI we can identify the client’s specific health need and provide assistance or refer them to the appropriate resource/providers.

You can visit our Facebook page to learn more about our workshops, or contact us if you’d like to sign up for the next session.