Josiah and Paul have dedicated the past year to collaborating with UAB’s safety net hospital, Cooper Green, to gather crucial insights into the levels of health literacy and self-efficacy among an underserved patient population. This community faces disproportionate health challenges, leading to poorer health outcomes. Utilizing the Single Item Literacy Screen (SILS) and the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Diseases 6-Item Scale, they conducted longitudinal assessments to gather data directly from patients. This data has been instrumental in guiding interventions for their project and for Cooper Green by providing a clearer understanding of the community’s specific needs. In the latter part of the year, Paul and Josiah organized tailored workshops for patients at Cooper Green, focusing on promoting digital literacy, dietary habits, and exercise behaviors based on evidence-based practices. Following these workshops, they re-administered screenings to assess the impact of their intervention and to refine their approach for future initiatives. Through these efforts, Paul and Josiah aim to empower patients with the knowledge and skills necessary to improve their health outcomes and foster a healthier community. Paul and Josiah completed individual assessments of baseline health literacy and self-efficacy for over 165 patients, and organized nine tailored workshops to provide support. Moreover, they’ve initiated a partnership with Dynamic Health to offer personalized, one-on-one counseling sessions on diet and health behaviors to all interested patients at Cooper Green. This collaborative effort is designed to offer comprehensive support and resources, empowering patients to effectively manage their health.

As a result of the project:

• Delivered 9 monthly in-person workshops tailored to patients’ needs
• 165+ patient contacts with assessment of baseline health efficacy and literacy
• Validated materials on sustainable healthy diet and exercise
• Measurable baseline levels of Health Literacy and Efficacy at Cooper Green MOD clinic
• 16 patients were paired with volunteers from the UAB HSOM organization Dynamic Health