Leonard Doak Memorial Scholarship in Health Literacy

The Institute for Healthcare Advancement is honored to partner with Cecilia Doak in announcing the Leonard Doak Memorial Scholarship in Health Literacy. Len and Ceci Doak are widely acknowledged as pioneers in the field of health literacy. Their seminal book, Teaching Patients With Low Literacy Skills, is considered a must-read text in the field. The text includes the widely used Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) tool for evaluating the effectiveness of patient education materials.

If you, or someone you know, would be interested in learning more about health literacy (see Award information below), please fill out the application and submit it to IHA.

Deadline for application submission is February 1, 2013 Deadline extended to February 8, 2013.

Winner will be notified no later than February 15, 2013.

Award: Full tuition paid to attend the Health Literacy Institute in June in Freeport, Maine, and to attend the Institute for Healthcare Advancement's Annual Health Literacy Conference in Irvine, CA. All expenses including conference materials, airfare, hotel accommodations, and meals will be covered for the duration of both events. (Note: Funds for attending the IHA conference are provided compliments of IHA and are not taken out of the Leonard Doak Memorial Scholarship Fund.) Recipient will be partnered with a mentor for one year after completing attendance to both events, and will submit a report that will be posted on the Institute for Healthcare Advancement's website. Mentor for the first year of the program will be Cecilia Doak. If you or someone you know would be interested in serving as a mentor for this program in future years, or if you would like to help us disseminate information about the scholarship, please contact Michael Villaire at IHA, mvillaire@iha4health.org.

Established by: The Leonard Doak Scholarship in Health Literacy was established by his wife and longtime collaborator in health literacy studies, Cecilia Doak. The Scholarship was funded to honor Leonard Doak's memory and contributions to the field of health literacy. This scholarship recognizes an individual who demonstrates dedication to improving communication between healthcare professionals and the population they serve. The fund is administered by the Institute for Healthcare Advancement, with the approval and collaboration of Cecilia Doak.

Eligibility: This scholarship is open to healthcare professionals who work to disseminate health education to vulnerable populations in underserved areas. 

About the Health Literacy Institute: The Health Literacy Institute provides a comprehensive, 3-day immersive learning environment in Freeport, Maine. Learn plain language skills to communicate your health messages quickly and clearly to diverse consumer audiences. We are grateful to Sue Stableford, MPH, MSB, principal and co-founder of the Institute, which is sponsored by the Center for Community and Public Health, University of New England. The Leonard Doak Memorial Scholarship in Health Literacy also acknowledges the late Dr. Jane Root, co-founder of the Health Literacy Institute, a colleague of the Doaks and a co-author on their seminal work, Teaching Patients With Low Literacy Skills. (Follow the link to download a PDF copy of the book for free. Hosted at Harvard courtesy Rima Rudd, Sc.D.)

About IHA's Annual Health Literacy Conference: The Institute for Healthcare Advancement has produced Operational Solutions to Low Health Literacy, a hands-on, continuing education conference each year in May in Southern California since 2002. IHA is honored to work with Ceci Doak in administering the Leonard Doak Memorial Scholarship in Health Literacy, and will oversee the annual competition.

Scholarship Criteria:

·        Working with populations challenged by health disparities

·        Working in an underserved, underrepresented area

·        Serve in a capacity of writing and reviewing health literature

·        Be a provider of health education

·        Be interested in creating new health literacy materials

·        Be committed to elevating and improving the field of health literacy

Application Procedure: 

1.      Complete application

2.      Purpose statement in 50 words or less explaining goals, plans to incorporate the learned content, and outline for accomplishments one year following attendance to the Health Literacy Institute and the Institute for Healthcare Advancement's Annual Health Literacy Conference

3.      Submit completed application and purpose statement to the Institute for Healthcare Advancement Scholarship Committee, c/o IHA, 501 S. Idaho St., Suite 300, La Habra, CA 90631 or email it to mvillaire@iha4health.org

4.     Selected applicants may be invited to participate in an interview to determine the recipient

5.    Deadline for applications is February 8, 2013