Striving to Achieve Literacy Via Education, Research and Engagement

Issue 1. Volume 1. September 2012

To the global community:

As we worked to put together the inaugural issue of SALVERE Quarterly, the reality of the journey we have decided to embark upon really set in. The mission and vision of this organization are ambitious, far reaching, and a w elcomed new journey for the SALVERE team. As we move forward with our efforts, we felt it would be worthy to share our commitments: We commitment to uphold the dignity of the field of public health, be a voice to those who feel silenced, be the eyes for those who need help seeing, be the ears for those who want someone to hear them, and to work consciously for the betterment of humankind. The SALVERE Team

What is SALVERE?
Striving to Achieve Literacy Via Education, Research and Engagement (SALVERE) is a new non-profit organization that means, to be in good health in Latin. Just as Latin serves as a mother tongue and root basis for many of our modern day languages, SALVERE desires to be the rooted force behind health related change on a local and global scale. The mission of the organization is to address health disparities by achieving health literacy through the utilization of a multi- modal approach that includes education, research, and community engagement. SALVERE strives to revolutionize public health practice because health should know no boundaries. The organization will target a number of health related topics and will encompass a variety of initiatives and projects that include Viral Load Zero (HIV/AIDS), The Nutrition Literacy Campaign, and the MENA (Middle East North Africa) Project. SALVERE is unique in that the goal of creating a health literate population is intertwined in the fabric that makes up this organization. This particular approach allows for health related issues and disparities to be attacked at the root.
For more information contact us: salvereglobal@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook: www. facebook.com/pages/SALVERE

Announcements
SALVEREs Pre-Nursing Public Health Program is now accepting applications. The program is a joint effort between Universal Nursing Services of Texas and SALVERE. The program is focused on providing the opportunity to shadow health professionals and to gain an understanding of various aspects of public health, health education and the role a nurse plays in providing education to a patient. More information can be found on our Facebook page. Call for Volunteers If you are looking for a great volunteer opportunity contact us through Facebook or email at salvereglobal@gmail.com


Psychology and Public Health By Tonantzin Juarez, MA
In recent years the field of psychology has played a significant role in developing programs and information relevant to public health. Psychology focuses on discrete problems in small populations while the public health model places an emphasis on understanding health problems on a community level. Psychology helps public health by providing a mechanism by which the root of a particular problem can be determined while taking into consideration the environmental, family or individual factors that are at play. In addition, due to its background in assessing roots and predicting behaviors, a psychologist brings a unique perspective as to how behavior can be influenced and how to encourage health behaviors. Psychologists provide the background to understand how behavior and environment can interact to produce health outcomes. Collaboration between the two fields is inevitable and has become more pronounced, particularly with regard to post-traumatic stress disorder. The next step in strengthening the bond between the two fields is to recognize the potential contributions of psychology to policy and more effective, evidence- based programs and interventions.

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HEALTH LITERACY DEFINED: The degree to

which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. -Healthy People 2010

What is Health Literacy?

By Howaida M. Werfelli, MPH, CHES What does health literacy really mean? Health literacy is the ability of an individual to collect, process and comprehend basic health information and to make relevant and appropriate decisions about health behaviors. The degree to which an individual is able to do this accurately is what determines their health literacy level [1]. Contradictory to popular belief, health literacy knows no borders and affects people from all backgrounds, education levels, and socioeconomic statuses [2]. According to the Center for Health Care Strategies: people of all ages, races, incomes, and education levels-not just people with limited reading skills or people for whom English is a second language-are affected by limited health literacy [2]. Research from the United States Department of Education found that twelve (12) percent of English- speaking adults in the US have proficient health literacy levels [3]. A study released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that a negative relationship exists between limited health literacy and the use of preventive services (e.g. mammograms or flu shots), management of chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, and HIV/AIDS), and self-reported health [3]. Next Issue: Health Literacy as a Public Health Problem References: 1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010 (2nd ed.) Washington, DC, 2000. 2. Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc. What is Health Literacy-Fact Sheet. www.chcs.org. 3. National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
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Behind the Logo

A special thanks goes out to Barbara T. Reyes of ApexLine for her wonderful contribution to our organization. Her ability to take the essence of SALVERE and create a graphic representation is impeccable.

The SALVERE logo symbolizes rebirth and renewed effort to move public health forward on a massive scale. The color red symbolizes the power of the organization, the staff and those who are beneficiaries of SALVEREs efforts. The V is designed to represent two leaves. The leaves also have a strong symbolic representation. They represent happiness, faith, endurance, tenacity and perseverance. The three red dots symbolize education, research and engagement...essential elements of the foundation.