Taking the Pulse of the University of Tennessee Medical Center's Health Literacy Knowledge.

Low health literacy is well documented in East Tennessee. Before addressing the issue, librarians at the Preston Medical Library, University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, conducted a needs assessment of hospital staff to determine their knowledge of health literacy and the need for training. As a follow-up, library staff conducted training sessions for nurses through classes, small group meetings, and staff huddles. The result is an increased dialogue of health literacy at the hospital, along with new research projects, a forum, and a summit meeting.