
North Hudson Community Action Corp. has created the very informed patient (VIP) program to improve the health literacy of patients at one of its health centers, whiles also providing health literacy education to Level I ESL students engaged at the Union City Board of Education. The VIP group meets with a patient educator in individual 30-45 minute sessions on a monthly basis and the patient educator and Community Outreach Educator instruct each Level I ESL class once per month on the identical health literacy curriculum. In addition, the organization has establish a health literacy library with computer access at its West New York health clinic. Effective health literacy interventions focus on providing participants with increased access to healthcare, development of a Health Passport for VIPs and knowledge of preventive screening needs; access for the ESL group to a mobile health van bimonthly at the Union City Board of Education; Medication Reconciliation, Care Planning and Problem Solving.