EHSLibrary » healthcare disparities

Another Eccles success: our first book signing event

Todd Vandenbark — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:19:47 +0000

On Friday, January 27, 2012, the Library hosted its first book signing and presentation, which proved to be a thought-provoking event. Joy Harriman, Medical Librarian at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions; and Margaret Pearce, Chief Nursing Officer at the University of Utah Hospital and Clinics, spoke on the topic of healthcare disparities in Mobile, AL and New Orleans, LA, respectively. Harriman shared stories from her book, Health Care in Mobile: An Oral History of the 1940s, and from her time spent researching the book. Pearce shared stories from her background as a nurse trained by the Daughters of Charity, and the time she spent caring for victims of AIDS in New Orleans before the disease had been identified. Attenders had many questions for the presenters afterwards, and also took the opportunity to purchase Harriman’s book, which she autographed.

More special events coming, so stay tuned!

Exploring healthcare disparities from a historical perspective

Todd Vandenbark — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:10:04 +0000

The library is excited to announce an upcoming special event: a presentation and book signing on the topic of healthcare disparities. Two dynamic speakers will be presenting: Joy Harriman, Medical Librarian at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions; and Margaret Pearce, Chief Nursing Officer at the University of Utah Hospital and Clinics

Copies of Ms. Harriman’s recently published book, Health Care in Mobile: An Oral History of the 1940s will be available for purchase and signing by the author. This work presents a small oral history of the delivery of health care in Mobile, AL, from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. It includes the beliefs, behaviors, expectations, and experiences of individuals whose lives have been entwined with community and health care.

Ms. Pearce also has ties to the Mobile area and underwent her nursing education in the region. She trained with the Daughters of Charity who have long been devoted to the elimination of disparities in health care. Ms. Pearce will share with us some of her personal experience and insights gained from her involvement with this organization.

Date: Friday, January 27, 2012
Time: 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Where: Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library (main floor)
What: presentation and book signing
Questions? Contact Christy Jarvis, Collections Librarian, at

Refreshments will be provided. Please join us for the first of what we hope will be a series of fun and informative public events.

First step to health literacy: ask questions

Todd Vandenbark — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:10:24 +0000

As noted in a previous post, health literacy includes everything from the ability to get care in our complex healthcare system down to being able to understand the instructions on your prescription medicine bottle. A basic foundation to being literate about healthcare is the ability to ask questions. But if your primary language is not English, it can be a source of poor communication between patient and healthcare provider. According to the 2010 National Healthcare Disparities Report, Hispanics were “significantly more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to report poor communication” with their healthcare provider. They are more likely to ask friends or casual acquaintances for advice that should come from trained professionals.

The U.S. government’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Ad Council have teamed up to launch a national health campaign aimed at empowering Latinos to ask their doctors questions.

Television, radio, print and Web ads in $30 million worth of donated advertising space will run in Latino-centric media showing people with ailments such as a bad back getting conflicting advice in places such as the laundromat and the barbershop before going to the doctor (from Fox News Latino).

The campaign is called Conoce las Preguntas (Know the Questions), and the advertisements direct viewers to the campaign’s website, which provides a kind of “roadmap” to a doctor’s visit. For example, it encourages patients to be clear on prescription instructions, and offers suggested follow-up questions to medical diagnoses. And it includes humorous videos such as this one showing one Latino man asking for advice on an earache, and getting a variety of answers. (Click on the triangle-shaped “play” button to show the video.)

Video Credit: REVOLUCIÓN