Helen Osborne is now booking virtual and in-person events and presentations for 2023, 2024, and beyond. Contact Helen about ways she can be part of your upcoming conference, workshop, or meeting.

Presentations from Helen

SHIP (State Health Insurance Program) & SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol). Helen led a pair of webinars for hundreds of participants from networks across the U.S. The first webinar was “Health Literacy: What It Is, Why It Matters, Ways You Can Help.” The second webinar was “Starting Strategies for Writing in Plain Language.” The level of participation and interaction was exceptionally high, especially given that this was a virtual presentation with a very large audience.

TennCare. Helen will present an all-day, in-person “Health Literacy & Plain Language Workshop” in Nashville, TN. She will introduce new topics and skills, as well as provide an opportunity for participants to practice.

Greenfield Health Systems. Helen will be giving health literacy presentations on each of the two days of this Renal Care Symposium in Southfield, Michigan.

National Literacy Awareness Virtual Policy & Press Event. Helen is an invited speaker at this first-ever event of its kind. Helen will be interviewed about the history of Health Literacy Month—an awareness-raising initiative she founded in 1999, and has been happening worldwide ever since.

AMWA (American Medical Writers Association), New England Chapter. Helen will lead a roundtable conversation, titled “Podcasting: Using the Spoken Word to Communicate about Health.” As a long-time podcaster, Helen Osborne knows the many benefits of using spoken words to convey health messages. She will introduce the basics of podcasting and share experiences and lessons learned as host of two podcast series, Health Literacy Out Loud and Talking About Blood.

DenseBreast-Info.org: Plain Language Tutorial (two-session virtual program). In the first session, Helen will introduce principles of health literacy and plain language. Participants will then have several days to practice applying these to their own materials. The second session is a time for participants to discuss their progress, challenges, lessons learned, and plans ahead.

Convergence: Health & Digital Literacy Summit
Helen Osborne’s presentation is “Health Literacy: Where It Happens, Who It Affects, Ways to Help.” She will share stores of individual learning needs, highlight effective how-to strategies, and facilitate discussion about ways to help. In-person conference has since been cancelled by organizer.

UC Berkeley Blood Pressure Project Panel
Helen Osborne will be addressing “Health Literacy and Its Impact” and ways that students can get involved in tackling health disparities and promoting practices like motivational interviewing in the context of health education.

Health Literacy Month in Russia
Helen Osborne will give two presentations during this month’s long program sponsored by Ministry of the Russian Federation. Helen will be the opening speaker for the Health Literacy Policy Roundtable. Two weeks later, she will participate in its Healthcare Practice Roundtable.

Council of Occupational Therapists for the European Countries (COTEC)
Helen will be a keynote speaker at this virtual conference, highlighting strategies that occupational therapists can use to help improve health understanding.

Boston University’s Online Master of Science in Health Communication
Helen Osborne will talk with students in a course taught by Leigh Curtin-Wilding, who also directs this BU program

First Brazilian Health Literacy Conferencea two-day virtual conference
Helen Osborne is honored to give the opening plenary at Brazil’s first-ever health literacy conference. Her talk is titled, “Using Health Literacy to Build Bridges to Better Health.”

Rocky Mountain College, Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program
Helen will lead a seminar about health literacy and plain language to students and faculty in this occupational therapy program.

Kentucky Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention Program
Helen will present a virtual session about health literacy as part of this program’s series, “Task Talks.”

American Academy of OphthalmologySan Francisco, CA
Helen Osborne will lead a day-long training program about health literacy and plain language for staff and others at the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Wisconsin Health Literacy Summit
Madison, WI
“Health Communication through the Lens of Health Literacy and Law Enforcement.” Helen Osborne (with expertise in health literacy) and Mitch Ross (a police officer in Milwaukee) will co-present this interactive session. Topics include everyday communication that relates to health, communicating in a crisis, and using communication to build trust between individuals, across professions. and within communities. Please join us. Click this link to register and learn more. 

Jefferson-Madison Regional Libraries
Charlottesville, VA
Helen Osborne will lead two half-day sessions about health literacy. In the morning’s session,”Health Literacy: What It Is, Why It Matters, Ways You Can Help,” Helen will introduce key concepts and share practical strategies. In the afternoon, Helen will facilitate “A Conversation: Moving Forward with Health Literacy,” with time for participants to ask questions, exchange ideas, share concerns, and discuss doable, realistic ways to help.

AmeriHealth Caritas, Health Equity Council
Online event
Helen Osborne will be the guest speaker in this “reverse podcast” about health literacy, providing “food for thought” about ways associates can help improve health literacy for Medicaid and Medicare members.

New York State Department of Health’s Health Literacy Month Summit
Albany, NY
Helen Osborne will give a morning keynote presentation, “Health Literacy: What It Is, Why It Matters, Ways You Can Help.” In the afternoon, she will facilitate interactive activities and discussion about “Putting Health Literacy into Action.”

Boston University’s School of Health Communication
Helen Osborne will share her health literacy perspective and recommendations with students in this online Advance Writing, course taught by Leigh Curtin-Wilding.

National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Health Literacy Roundtable
Washington DC
As part of this daylong Health Literacy Roundtable workshop on “The Intersection of Behavioral Health, Mental Health, and Health Literacy,” Helen Osborne will participate in a panel discussion,”Where Do We Go From Here?”

American Medical Writers Association, New England Chapter
Helen Osborne will discuss the importance of health literacy and provide practical strategies to improve health communication in her talk titled, “Health Literacy: What It Is, Why It Matters, Ways Medical Writers Can Help.” Network with medical writing colleagues at this dinner meeting to be held at the Best Western Hotel in Waltham, MA.

New York State SNAP Educational Training Conference
Albany, NY
Helen Osborne will give the opening plenary session, “Health Literacy: What It Is, Why It Matters, Ways You Can Help.” This talk includes an overview about health literacy and best practices. During the session there will be an opportunity for nutritionists and others to practice putting these principles into practice.

American Academy of Ophthalmology
San Francisco, CA
Helen Osborne will lead a day-long training program about health literacy and plain language for staff and others at the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

National Speakers Association, New England Chapter
Waltham, MA
Helen Osborne will participate in a panel discussion about podcasting, sharing lessons learned from producing and hosting the audio interview series, Health Literacy Out Loud.

AMWA (American Medical Writers Association), Annual Conference
Orlando, FL
Helen Osborne will be receiving AMWA’s prestigious Walter C Alvarez Award for excellence in health communication and giving an acceptance address to the entire conference.

AMWA (American Medical Writers Association), Annual Conference
Orlando, FL
Helen Osborne will lead a breakout session, “A Conversation About Podcasting.” This session will include practical matters, business benefits, and needed podcast skills including interviewing others.

Orlando Health
Orlando, FL
Helen Osborne is giving three presentations that day, twice talking with staff about overall health literacy concepts and strategies and once talking with senior leaders about system-wide ways to make a health literacy difference.

Coverys
Grand Rapids, MI
Helen Osborne will present a keynote about health literacy for risk managers, physicians, group managers.

University of Southern Maine, Patient Safety Academy
Portland, ME
Helen Osborne is the morning plenary speaker, opening the day-long conference by talking about “Health Literacy: What It Is, Why It Matters, How You Can Help.”

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
Keystone, CO
Helen Osborne will give a plenary talk about health literacy. Then lead a breakout session encouraging participants to take health literacy action

Coverys
Seattle, Washington
Helen Osborne will present a keynote about health literacy for hospital risk managers.

Greater Oregon Behavioral Health
Tillamook, Oregon
Helen Osborne will lead a program for both patients and providers about ways to communicate health more clearly.

Greater Oregon Behavioral Health
Astoria, Oregon
Helen Osborne will present a series of health literacy programs.

PCORI (Patient Centered Outcomes Research)
Communications & Dissemination Research, Advisory Panel
Washington DC
Brief panel presentation about challenges communicating uncertainty.

Wisconsin Literacy’s Health Literacy Summit
Madison, Wisconsin
Helen Osborne will lead a breakout session, “Building Support and Enthusiasm for Health Literacy.” Structured more as a conversation than presentation, focus will be on meaningful, realistic ways to build support for issues vital to those you care for, and care about.

South Shore Community Partners in Prevention
Plymouth, MA
Helen Osborne will lead a discussion about “Being a Health Literacy Hero.” Topics include identifying problems and finding practical solutions. The goal is to put these ideas into health literacy action.

South Shore Community Partners in Prevention
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Helen Osborne will help kick off this new regional initiative, highlighting health literacy best practices.

Carolinas HealthCare System
Charlotte, North Carolina
Helen Osborne will present an overview about health literacy for patient experience staff of the Carolinas HealthCare System. Not open to the public.

Carolinas HealthCare System
Charlotte, North Carolina
Helen Osborne will give a full-day health literacy program for staff of the Carolinas HealthCare System. Not open to the public.

University of Maryland, Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy
College Park, Maryland
Helen Osborne will talk about the history of health literacy and origins of Health Literacy Month. Later that day, she will participate in the Health Literacy Learning Community’s roundtable discussion about attributes of health literate health care organizations.

Colorado Health Literacy Coalition
Aurora, Colorado
Helen Osborne will give a kick-off health literacy presentation at the first statewide meeting of the Colorado Health Literacy Coalition.

Pennsylvania Health Literacy Coalition Meeting
Harrisburg, PA
Helen Osborne will deliver a plenary address at the first statewide meeting of the Pennsylvania Health Literacy Coalition.

American Institute for Research (AIR)
Washington DC
Helen Osborne will give a day-long training program about health literacy and plain language for health service researchers and health communication professionals.

Sanford Nursing Symposium
Fargo, ND
Helen Osborne will give a keynote presentation about health literacy at the Annual Sandford Nursing Symposium in Fargo, North Dakota.

Patient Education Summit
Greensboro, NC
Helen Osborne will be the opening and closing plenary speaker at Greensboro Area Health Education Center’s annual Patient Education Conference. Helen’s first presentation is an overview about health literacy, “Health Literacy: What It Is, Why It Matters, How You Can Help.” Her second presentation is a call to action, “Be a Health Literacy Hero.”

Temiskaming Health Link
Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada
Helen Osborne will lead an all-day health literacy program for local healthcare organizations. Topics include “Health Literacy: What It Is, Why It Matters, How You Can Help,” one or more skills-building sessions, and “Take Action: Be a Health Literacy Hero.”

Temiskaming Health Link
New Liskeard, Ontario, Canada
Helen Osborne will lead an all-day health literacy program for local healthcare organizations. Topics include “Health Literacy: What It Is, Why It Matters, How You Can Help,” one or more skills-building sessions, and “Take Action: Be a Health Literacy Hero.”

Plain Talk Conference
Washington DC
Helen Osborne will moderate a plenary panel discussion, “Communicating Access to Coverage.”

Plain Talk Conference
Washington DC
“The Art of the Interview.” Want to add more pizazz to your presentations? One great way is by interviewing others. Whether you interview others onstage or record a conversation to be aired later, this format not only amplifies your message but also engages the audience. Helen Osborne will teach the how-to’s of interviewing in a preconference workshop at Plain Talk 2015.

National Speakers Association, New England
Waltham, MA
“The Art of the Interview.” Want to add more pizazz to your presentations? One great way is by interviewing others. Whether you interview others onstage or record a conversation to be aired later, this format not only amplifies your message but also engages the audience. Helen Osborne will teach the how-to’s of interviewing at NSANE’s Wake-Up Call.

National Network of Libraries of Medicine, New England Region
Worcester, MA
Helen Osborne will open and close this Health Literacy Program Day. Her first session is an overview, “Health Literacy: What It Is, Why It Matters, How You Can Help.” She ends with an interactive program, “Take Action: Be a Health Literacy Hero.” In-between, Helen will facilitate an onstage conversation about the US National Action Plan for Health Literacy.

Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston, MA
Helen Osborne will present a overview about health literacy to hospital staff and members of the Family Education Steering Committee. Immediately after the presentation, Helen will meet with key leaders about ways to implement health literacy and patient education processes throughout the organization.

10th Annual Texas Health Literacy Conference
San Antonio, TX
Helen Osborne will lead the closing session about being a Health Literacy Hero.

Anchorage Health Literacy Collaborative
Anchorage, Alaska
The Anchorage Health Literacy Collaborative invited Helen Osborne to be part of a day-long workshop. This will be the first health literacy conference ever held in Anchorage, Alaska. Helen is honored to accept!

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Worcester, MA
Helen Osborne will be giving a presentation about health literacy to future pharmacists.

American Medical Writers Association – New England Chapter
Burlington, MA
AMWA Roundtable Discussion. Helen Osborne will lead a discussion about health literacy and ways that medical writers can help. The goal is that participants leave not only inspired but also prepared to take action.