Sonora, CA…In December 2014, HealthLitNow, (www.healthlitnow.org) a 501(c)3 non-profit, was launched from the Tuolumne County Innovation Lab (www.myinnovationlab.org) to provide Public Health Literacy programs for K-12 students throughout Tuolumne County and the Sierra Region. Public Health Literacy is defined as the degree to which individuals and groups can obtain, process, understand, evaluate, and act on information needed to make personal and public health decisions that benefit their community.

Today, HealthLitNow (HLN) is pleased to announce the award of two new grants that will enable the expansion of HLN programs in Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties. The Statewide Office of Healthcare Planning and Development (OSHPD) has awarded HLN a grant in the amount of $12,000 to extend the Exploratorium of Healthcare Careers (EXPLORE HCC) Workshops in Tuolumne County during the 2016 – 2017 academic year. This is the second grant in two years awarded to HLN by OSHPD.

Also, On June 7, the Motherlode Workforce Investment Board (MLWIB) awarded a $217,000 grant to HLN and Mother Lode Job Training (MLJT) to sustain and expand the EXPLORE HCC workshops. This grant provides funding for workshop programs in both Tuolumne and Calaveras County schools.

Barry Hillman, PhD., president of HLN stated “We are pleased to have such broad community and State support for our programs. A growing demand for healthcare workers provides an opportunity for area youth to remain in Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties while earning a family wage income. The EXPLORE HCC workshops bring greater awareness of health literacy and healthcare career opportunity to students and their families. These grants affirm the value of our programs and the dedicated effort of more than 25 community volunteers who have participated and presented at the EXPLORE HCC in-school workshops.”

Jeff Dickason, Executive Director of Mother Lode Job Training, stated “We are very pleased to partner with HealthLitNow in support of the EXPLORE HCC program bringing healthcare career opportunity to 7th – 9th grade students in schools throughout Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties. A growing shortage of healthcare professionals can only be met with programs like EXPLORE HCC that bring awareness and encouragement to area youth enabling them to plan for a future career in healthcare.”

About HealthLitNow, (www.healthlitnow.org ) is a non-profit, community based “Public Health Literacy” organization designed to enhance both short-term and long-term healthcare outcomes for K-12 students, their families, and the community at-large in Tuolumne County and the Sierra Foothills consistent with the “National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy”. HLN has adopted a mission to enhance Public Health Literacy by engaging a broad alliance of
community participants offering technical and non-technical Health Literacy programs through the Tuolumne County Innovation Lab (ILab – www.myinnovationlab.org. Supporting organizations include the Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority (TCEDA), The Sonora Area Foundation, Tuolumne County Health Department, Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools Office, area schools, Sonora Regional Medical Center, local government, area business, Tuolumne Me-Wuk Indian Health Center, Columbia Community College, the University of California Merced, and others. Our offices are located at 99 N. Washington St and 101 Hospital Rd. on the third floor of the former Tuolumne General Hospital.

About Mother Lode Job Training: Mother Lode Job Training (MLJT) was established in 1983 under a joint powers agreement with Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, and Tuolumne Counties. MLJT is the designated operator of the local area One-Stop Centers governed by the Mother Lode Workforce Investment Board (MLWIB). The centers, known as America’s Job Center of California , are located throughout the rural, four-county region, serving the workforce needs of area employers and job-seekers. MLJT’s workforce and training programs are funded by federal allocations under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, and numerous state, regional, and local grants. Currently, all services are free of charge to employers and job seekers. Some eligibility requirements are necessary for training programs.