Department of Health aims to make health information clearer and more accessible for residents statewide

Organ Mountain News report

SANTA FE - The New Mexico Department of Health has launched a statewide health literacy initiative aimed at making health information clearer and easier for residents to understand.

The department has hired a health literacy specialist to assess needs, review written and digital materials and oversee e-learning programs to train staff. The initiative will involve collaboration across NMDOH divisions and with state health councils.

“Health literacy is essential to achieving positive health outcomes,” said Susan Garcia, director of community engagement and equity at NMDOH. “This is about making health information clear and accessible so every New Mexican can make informed decisions about their own care and their families.”

The effort coincides with Health Literacy Month — recognized each October since 1999 to raise awareness about the challenges many people face in reading, understanding and using health information.

“Health literacy isn’t the same as literacy or English fluency,” said Susana Rinderle, NMDOH’s health literacy specialist. “It’s about ensuring healthcare providers communicate clearly while considering stress, cultural differences, age, neurodivergence and education levels.”

According to NMDOH, personal health literacy empowers people to ask questions, share concerns and participate more actively in their care, while organizational health literacy improves access, quality and equity — and can lower healthcare costs.