The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Literacy Workgroup is comprised of all operating and most staff divisions under HHS, and has met regularly since 2003. ODPHP founded, hosts, and supports the efforts of the Health Literacy Workgroup and currently runs the Workgroup in coordination with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
The workgroup collaborates to ensure that improving health literacy remains a priority for HHS. The workgroup strives to:
- Create understandable and actionable health information
- Support and facilitate engaged and activated health consumers
- Refresh the health literacy science base on a regular basis
In collaboration with constituents throughout the United States, the workgroup developed the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy in 2010.
The workgroup has built a strong network of staff committed to using the Department’s unique and important position and resources to improve health literacy.
Agencies include:
- Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
- Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- Indian Health Service (IHS)
- Immediate Office of the Secretary (IOS)
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH)
- Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
