The COVID-19 pandemic lay bare healthcare’s shortcomings in serving vulnerable groups.
A program offered through the City of Milwaukee is helping healthcare providers improve public health through better communication with patients. The training covers communication strategies, health literacy, and racial equity, with the goal of involving patients in decision-making.
It’s offered through the city’s Office of African American Affairs, and led by the Milwaukee-based consulting group UBUNTU Research & Evaluation.
Mikey Murry is a managing strategist at UBUNTU and leads training for the health literacy program.
"Our key framework is this idea of dignity," Murry says. "All people should understand themselves to be worthy. Because the people around them are worthy. At that basic level, that [basic] human-to-human connection of being like, 'This is your body.' You should be be as informed about what is happening to it, and also [as] involved in the decision-making, as much as possible."
The sessions are free, and open to anyone who works in — or is planning to work in — healthcare. The training will be offered through the summer of 2024.
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