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Health Literacy 2.0 - A Path to Health Equity
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NORFOLK, VA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2024 / The newly established Birdsong Health Literacy Center of Excellence is set to make a transformative impact on the health of our nation by promoting health literacy, improving public health, empowering individuals, and driving economic prosperity through innovative community-based health education initiatives.
The World Health Organization recently recognized health literacy as a stronger predictor of an individual's health status than income, employment status, education level, or racial and ethnic group. The Center is committed to addressing this critical social determinant of health through accessible, engaging, and impactful health literacy initiatives designed to improve the health and wellness of individuals and communities across the nation.
"The Birdsong Health Literacy Center of Excellence is more than an organization - it represents a movement towards a healthier future," said George Birdsong, President and Founder of the nonprofit organization. "Our mission is to empower individuals with the knowledge needed to make informed health decisions for themselves and their families, building healthier and more resilient communities that foster economic growth."
At the heart of the Center's mission is the support and expansion of Healthier757, a community-wide health literacy initiative that provides free health education resources across the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. Through a strategic partnership with EdLogics, a digital game-based health education organization with a mission to improve health literacy, the Center engages residents with interactive games, quizzes, videos, and incentives to promote healthy behaviors. This partnership also allows for the integration of health literacy into workforce development programs and early childhood education, addressing health equity from multiple angles and fostering long-term community resilience.
An initial focus of the Center is the creation of a collaborative network of nonprofits uniquely positioned to address the diverse needs of underserved communities. This network will leverage the strengths of each organization to tackle various aspects of community health and health equity, including maternal health, mental health, opioid abatement, and early childhood education. By combining resources and expertise, the network aims to close gaps in healthcare access, improve outcomes for vulnerable populations, and create pathways to a healthier and more equitable future.
"We are committed to using health literacy as a tool to drive better health outcomes and well-being in Hampton Roads," said Dr. Milton Brown, Chairman of the Center's Board and Senior Associate Vice President of Research for Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University. "Equally important is our focus on research to evaluate program effectiveness and ensure that we deliver meaningful behavior change. By creating healthier, more informed communities, we are making a difference in people's lives, particularly in underserved areas where help is needed the most."
In collaboration with Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, and other leading academic institutions across the nation, the Center is strategically positioned to identify best practices through evidence-based research and advancing public policy, supporting the need for improved health literacy.
Under the guidance of its Board of Directors - George Birdsong, Dr. Milton Brown, Sarah Jane Kirkland, Les Hall, and Trey Dudley - The Center is poised to be a national leader in advancing health literacy and digital health innovation. The Birdsong Health Literacy Center of Excellence invites community support and collaboration to build a brighter and healthier future for all.
For more information, please visit birdsonghlcoe.org.
Media Contact:
Maureen C. McDonnell
Birdsong Health Literacy Center of Excellence
Email: maureen@BirdsongHLCOE.org
Phone: 757-438-0673
SOURCE: Birdsong HLCOE
ACCESSWIRE
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amazon Web Services (AWS) Health Equity Initiative has selected EdLogics to be part of its $40 million, three-year commitment to support organizations that are developing solutions to advance health equity.
EdLogics is a Virginia Beach-based digital health communications and consumer engagement company dedicated to improving health literacy by transforming the way people learn about health. EdLogics, in partnership with Virginia-registered non-profit Global Action Platform, launched Healthier757, a regional collective impact initiative to improve health literacy and address health equity across the Hampton Roads region. Healthier757 partners with a wide array of community-based organizations to promote free access to vital health information through its game-based and incentive-driven online platform, Rewards for Healthy Living. These partners provide resources to address chronic health conditions, preventive care, nutrition, mental health, and more to the region's most vulnerable neighborhoods.
Rewards for Healthy Living is powered by AWS' cloud technology and is used by employers, academic institutions, municipalities, and non-profit organizations to improve health literacy, drive positive health behaviors, achieve better health outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs.
Through the Health Equity Initiative, AWS offers credits and specialized technical expertise to selected organizations around the world that use AWS services to improve health outcomes and health equity. The support from AWS will enable Healthier757 to improve health literacy and workforce productivity across Hampton Roads, strengthening the region's economy and powering its growth.
"AWS believes individual health outcomes should not depend on socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or neighborhood," said Maggie Carter, Global Lead, Social Impact at AWS. "Cloud technology can help address inequities in global health to expand access to the services people need to live longer, healthier lives – no matter who they are or where they live. Through the AWS Health Equity Initiative, we look forward to helping EdLogics and other organizations worldwide use the power of cloud computing to advance health equity and improve health outcomes."
"We are extremely honored to be selected to receive support from this groundbreaking AWS Health Equity Initiative," said Thomas Chamberlain, PharmD, CEO of EdLogics. "Our goal is to address health equity by improving health literacy on a community-wide scale, which will require a highly secure and scalable infrastructure. Our collaboration with AWS provides the technical expertise and services needed to meet our strategic objectives in Hampton Roads and beyond," Chamberlain said.
About EdLogics: EdLogics is a digital health communications and consumer engagement company dedicated to transforming the way people learn about health. The EdLogics Platform is utilized by employers, healthcare organizations, academic institutions, and communities to improve health literacy, drive positive health behaviors, achieve better health outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs.
Visit: www.edlogics.com
About Global Action Platform: Global Action Platform is a leading university-business network advancing scalable, sustainable solutions for abundant food, health, and prosperity.
Visit: www.globalactionplatform.org
SOURCE: PR Newswire
View source version on prnewswire.com:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/edlogics-selected-by-amazon-web-services-for-health-equity-initiative-301814969.html
Serxner helps lead EdLogics' digital health literacy strategy
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EdLogics, a digital communications and engagement company dedicated to improving health literacy and empowering individuals to make better healthcare decisions, has appointed Dr. Seth Serxner, PhD, MPH, as Chief Health Officer. Dr. Serxner brings an extensive background in health literacy, population health management, health equity, and well-being, along with a deep appreciation for EdLogics' unique position within the healthcare industry.
"Witnessing firsthand the power of the EdLogics Platform and the commitment of their leadership team to create industry leading engagement and behavior change solutions were key factors in my decision to join EdLogics," Dr. Serxner said. "Developing a platform that connects people to credible information, programs, and resources — whether through their workplace or within their community — is critical to deriving value," he added. "To be effective, programs like this must be engaging, personalized, and have demonstrated impact. I have always been a huge advocate for health literacy and frankly am surprised it has not been addressed in our industry in a more modern, advanced way that leverages technology and behavioral science. I look forward to working with the EdLogics team to accelerate adoption of their Health Literacy 2.0 Platform, expand its capabilities, and bring unique value to our clients as they take on the challenges of attracting and retaining employees, boosting workforce productivity, and reducing healthcare costs."
Before joining EdLogics, Dr. Serxner served as Chief Health Officer and SVP of Population Health for OptumHealth, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, the nation's largest health insurance provider. In this role, he worked with employers, payers, and providers to apply evidence-based practices to solve health-related problems within their populations. Prior to that, Dr. Serxner was a partner with Mercer and led the company's West Region Total Health Management practice and served as Vice President of Research for Staywell/Krames.
Dr. Serxner currently serves on the Advisory Council for the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), where he formerly served as their Chairman. He also served as Chair of the Research Advisory Group and is an executive board member for the C. Everett Koop Corporate Health Awards, presented by The Health Project.
"Dr. Serxner is a true visionary, and we're thrilled to have him join our leadership team," said EdLogics Founder and CEO Thomas M. Chamberlain, PharmD. "We look forward to leveraging his experience and expertise to help lead EdLogics' digital health strategy, support our business development efforts, and position our organization for success in a rapidly changing healthcare industry. With Seth's guidance, we are confident EdLogics will continue to create innovative solutions that address the evolving needs of our clients and improve an individual's experience with the healthcare system," added Chamberlain.
Dr. Serxner received his bachelor's degree in psychology and biology from University of California, Santa Cruz, his Master's in Public Health from University of California, Los Angeles, and his PhD from UC Irvine with a focus on social ecology, health promotion, and disease prevention.
About EdLogics: EdLogics is a digital health communications and engagement company dedicated to transforming the way people learn about health. The EdLogics Platform is utilized by employers, health plans, academic institutions, and communities to improve health literacy, drive positive health behaviors, achieve better health outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs. EdLogics leverages innovative educational methods rooted in behavioral science including gamification, game-based learning, and unique incentive strategies to deliver a fun, engaging, and personalized learning experience across a broad range of health topics.
SOURCE: PR Newswire
View source version on prnewswire.com:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/former-optum-healthcare-executive-seth-serxner-joins-edlogics-as-chief-health-officer-301591387.html
NORFOLK, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A campaign to launch a community-wide initiative, “Healthier Hampton Roads,” was announced at the Hampton Roads Health Literacy Community Leadership Forum on June 21, 2019 at Old Dominion University.
The initiative is a partnership between EdLogics, a digital health communications company focused on transforming the way people learn about health, Old Dominion University and Global Action Platform and designed to increase health literacy, workforce productivity, and economic prosperity throughout Hampton Roads.
This invitation-only forum of thought leaders across the Hampton Roads community identified the importance of improving health literacy because of its significant impact on the health and lives of our citizens, healthcare costs, and the long-term economic prosperity in the region. Health literacy is one of the strongest predictors of an individual’s health status, and federal reports indicate that poor health knowledge costs the U.S. economy as much as $238 billion annually. Those with lower health literacy have higher mortality rates, more hospital stays, and more emergency room visits.
Governor Tommy Thompson, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and former Governor of Wisconsin, and Chairman of EdLogics made the call to action: “Healthier Hampton Roads will be a multi-stakeholder, integrated, community-based program that bridges the work site, home, and community,” he said. “It will connect all of Hampton Roads through an interactive digital health platform that provides a vehicle for increasing awareness, communication, education, engagement, and behavior change.”
According to Jim Spore, president and CEO for Reinvent Hampton Roads, “It’s all about the workforce – quantity, availability, and quality. Quality includes health of the workforce, as well as skills and productivity.” He added, “79 percent of businesses cite a healthy workforce as a key factor in guiding a location choice for expansion and new facilities, and 98 percent of businesses say that knowledge of an at-risk healthcare population with high rates of chronic conditions prevents them from building and expanding in that location.”
Spore also reported that healthcare experts in Hampton Roads identify mental health, opioid abuse, and chronic condition management as critical needs that must be addressed in our region.” On a positive note, he noted, “Cities in Hampton Roads have very high rates of digital media use and are poised to benefit from digital health literacy resources.”
“Improving health literacy is a key requirement for achieving behavior change, reducing healthcare costs, and improving health outcomes,” said Thomas M. Chamberlain, PharmD, founder and CEO of EdLogics. “Achieving behavior change at a community level requires people and organizations coming together through collaborative coalitions involving corporations, municipalities, non-profit organizations, health systems, universities, school systems, faith-based institutions, foundations, and philanthropists. Such collaboration is a key goal for “Healthier Hampton Roads.”
ODU’s College of Health Sciences and Strome Entrepreneurial Center/Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) sponsored the Forum on behalf of ODU. “We share the vision of Healthier Hampton Roads, EdLogics, and Global Action Platform since healthcare is rapidly being transformed through innovation. A healthy population and community have a direct impact on our region’s overall prosperity, workforce development, and economic growth.” said Nancy Grden, executive director, Strome Entrepreneurial Center.
“In today’s highly competitive global economy, health is a key economic driver,” said Scott T. Massey, PhD, chairman and CEO of Global Action Platform. “Healthy citizens are more productive, more creative, and provide a competitive advantage for any regional economy dedicated to growth and shared prosperity. Global Action Platform is working with EdLogics as a strategic partner to launch Healthier Hampton Roads and help build a new national model that can be created first here, replicated in our headquarters city of Nashville, and then shared nationally.”
Featured Forum speakers included:
More information on Healthier Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Health Literacy Community Leadership Forum can be found at www.healthierhamptonroads.org.
About EdLogics (www.edlogics.com)
EdLogics is a digital health communications company focused on transforming the way people learn about health. We provide employers, health plans, healthcare organizations, and government agencies a health education platform that improves health literacy and drives positive health behaviors by educating people in fun and engaging ways. The EdLogics Platform leverages innovative methods rooted in behavioral science including gamification, game-based learning, and unique incentive strategies to deliver a personalized, highly effective learning experience across a broad range of health topics.
About Old Dominion University (www.odu.edu)
Old Dominion University, located in the coastal city of Norfolk, is Virginia's entrepreneurial-minded doctoral research university with more than 24,000 students, rigorous academics, an energetic residential community, and initiatives that contribute $2.6 billion annually to Virginia's economy.
About Global Action Platform (www.globalactionplatform.org)
Global Action Platform is the leading university-business alliance advancing scalable, sustainable solutions for abundant food, health, and prosperity. As a national collective impact organization, Global Action Platform works with partners as a trusted convener to create high impact. Through its ongoing programs, Global Action Platform mobilizes leadership, makes impact investments, leverages technology/analytics, and shares findings through global communications.
Looking to improve your overall health and gain knowledge about staying healthy for the rest of your lives? We’ve got just the ticket. The City of Portsmouth, the Healthy Portsmouth Coalition (Portsmouth Health Department), Portsmouth Public Schools, the Portsmouth Public Library system, and a host of various partners have joined forces with Healthier757– an initiative with the primary goal to improve the health of our citizens and the economic prosperity of our region. What’s the strategy for Healthier757 to bring the region together to reach these goals? Simple – to change the way people learn about health by simplifying complicated health information and making it fun, engaging, and rewarding. Rewards for Healthy Living has something for everyone. Users can learn via health games, interactive videos, articles, and more. Participants are rewarded for educational achievements through random drawings where 757 citizens can win up to $500 cash on the first of each month, different local prizes such as staycations on the 15th of each month, and a $5,000 jackpot at the end of the year. Local residents may sign up for the free at https://www.rewardsforhealthyliving.com/.
Rewards for Healthy Living leverages EdLogics’ interactive digital health platform designed to engage, educate, and communicate with diverse audiences. Imagine an exciting and dynamic game-based program that grabs the attention of the user right away. It’s easy to use and readily accessible to anyone with internet access. Health topics addressed include coronavirus, mental health, opioid addiction, chronic health conditions, cancer, caregiving and senior health, medication use, health insurance, telemedicine and navigating the healthcare system, amongst hundreds of others. Evolving health topics will include infant mortality, early childhood education, health equity, diversity and inclusion, and social determinants of health. Knowledge improvement and consumer satisfaction scores are encouraging with 93 percent of users saying they learned things they didn’t know before, and 80 percent of users saying they have changed or plan to change their behavior based on what they learned.
The Healthier757 coalition brings the region’s municipalities and community health partners together to address key regional health priorities including the COVID-19 pandemic, improving health literacy in underserved communities, changing behaviors, promoting healthy lifestyles, and positioning Hampton Roads as a leader in health technology and innovation.
“We are excited and honored to be part of the Healthy Portsmouth Coalition and to work with the member organizations to bring Rewards for Healthy Living to the greater Portsmouth community,” said J.R. Locke, Vice President of Community Development for Healthier757. “Together, we have the opportunity to help people overcome barriers and improve their ability to better manage their health and that of their families.”
NORFOLK, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A campaign to launch a community-wide initiative, “Healthier Hampton Roads,” was announced at the Hampton Roads Health Literacy Community Leadership Forum on June 21, 2019 at Old Dominion University.
The initiative is a partnership between EdLogics, a digital health communications company focused on transforming the way people learn about health, Old Dominion University and Global Action Platform and designed to increase health literacy, workforce productivity, and economic prosperity throughout Hampton Roads.
This invitation-only forum of thought leaders across the Hampton Roads community identified the importance of improving health literacy because of its significant impact on the health and lives of our citizens, healthcare costs, and the long-term economic prosperity in the region. Health literacy is one of the strongest predictors of an individual’s health status, and federal reports indicate that poor health knowledge costs the U.S. economy as much as $238 billion annually. Those with lower health literacy have higher mortality rates, more hospital stays, and more emergency room visits.
Governor Tommy Thompson, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and former Governor of Wisconsin, and Chairman of EdLogics made the call to action: “Healthier Hampton Roads will be a multi-stakeholder, integrated, community-based program that bridges the work site, home, and community,” he said. “It will connect all of Hampton Roads through an interactive digital health platform that provides a vehicle for increasing awareness, communication, education, engagement, and behavior change.”
According to Jim Spore, president and CEO for Reinvent Hampton Roads, “It’s all about the workforce – quantity, availability, and quality. Quality includes health of the workforce, as well as skills and productivity.” He added, “79 percent of businesses cite a healthy workforce as a key factor in guiding a location choice for expansion and new facilities, and 98 percent of businesses say that knowledge of an at-risk healthcare population with high rates of chronic conditions prevents them from building and expanding in that location.”
Spore also reported that healthcare experts in Hampton Roads identify mental health, opioid abuse, and chronic condition management as critical needs that must be addressed in our region.” On a positive note, he noted, “Cities in Hampton Roads have very high rates of digital media use and are poised to benefit from digital health literacy resources.”
“Improving health literacy is a key requirement for achieving behavior change, reducing healthcare costs, and improving health outcomes,” said Thomas M. Chamberlain, PharmD, founder and CEO of EdLogics. “Achieving behavior change at a community level requires people and organizations coming together through collaborative coalitions involving corporations, municipalities, non-profit organizations, health systems, universities, school systems, faith-based institutions, foundations, and philanthropists. Such collaboration is a key goal for “Healthier Hampton Roads.”
ODU’s College of Health Sciences and Strome Entrepreneurial Center/Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) sponsored the Forum on behalf of ODU. “We share the vision of Healthier Hampton Roads, EdLogics, and Global Action Platform since healthcare is rapidly being transformed through innovation. A healthy population and community have a direct impact on our region’s overall prosperity, workforce development, and economic growth.” said Nancy Grden, executive director, Strome Entrepreneurial Center.
“In today’s highly competitive global economy, health is a key economic driver,” said Scott T. Massey, PhD, chairman and CEO of Global Action Platform. “Healthy citizens are more productive, more creative, and provide a competitive advantage for any regional economy dedicated to growth and shared prosperity. Global Action Platform is working with EdLogics as a strategic partner to launch Healthier Hampton Roads and help build a new national model that can be created first here, replicated in our headquarters city of Nashville, and then shared nationally.”
Featured Forum speakers included:
More information on Healthier Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Health Literacy Community Leadership Forum can be found at www.healthierhamptonroads.org.
About EdLogics (www.edlogics.com)
EdLogics is a digital health communications company focused on transforming the way people learn about health. We provide employers, health plans, healthcare organizations, and government agencies a health education platform that improves health literacy and drives positive health behaviors by educating people in fun and engaging ways. The EdLogics Platform leverages innovative methods rooted in behavioral science including gamification, game-based learning, and unique incentive strategies to deliver a personalized, highly effective learning experience across a broad range of health topics.
About Old Dominion University (www.odu.edu)
Old Dominion University, located in the coastal city of Norfolk, is Virginia's entrepreneurial-minded doctoral research university with more than 24,000 students, rigorous academics, an energetic residential community, and initiatives that contribute $2.6 billion annually to Virginia's economy.
About Global Action Platform (www.globalactionplatform.org)
Global Action Platform is the leading university-business alliance advancing scalable, sustainable solutions for abundant food, health, and prosperity. As a national collective impact organization, Global Action Platform works with partners as a trusted convener to create high impact. Through its ongoing programs, Global Action Platform mobilizes leadership, makes impact investments, leverages technology/analytics, and shares findings through global communications.
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