Organizational Health Literacy

Organizational health literacy refers to the ways government agencies, community-based organizations, health care institutions, and others work to make our processes, communications, and services as accessible, effective, and useful as possible.

At CCDPH, we created this toolkit as a practical resource for organizations that are committed to advancing health equity and working across sectors to:

Champion the importance of health literacy across Cook County
Share practical tools for implementing positive changes
Advocate for more equitable policies and practices
Celebrate successes and learn from each other
Collaborate to build a more health literate public health system in Cook County

Download the Toolkit

A toolkit to help organizations in suburban Cook County build a health literate public health system

Advancing Organizational Health Literacy (PDF): This 90-page toolkit provides an introduction to organizational health literacy followed by in-depth exploration of six key focus areas that align with CCDPH’s vision for a health literate public health system. Please check back for the Spanish language toolkit Summer 2025.
Organizational Health Literacy Assessment (PDF): This includes a short self-assessment for each of the six focus areas in the toolkit. Members of your organization can collaborate to complete the whole assessment, or focus in on specific areas. This assessment can help identify areas where your organization wants to improve. Please check back for the Spanish language assessment Summer 2025.