Have you ever felt confused or overwhelmed after a visit to the doctor's office? If so, you're not alone. Many people have poor health literacy or are unable to understand health information, which can lead to misdiagnosis, hospitalization and even death. But for patients who stand up and advocate for their health, there is hope.

Molly is a strategic communications specialist in healthcare. She is currently a senior marketing and communications specialist at Phoenix Children's Hospital and previously worked in strategic communications for Providence Health & Services in Portland, Oregon. Through this work, she experienced firsthand the literacy gap between medical professionals and the patients they treat. Before moving into healthcare communications, she worked as a print journalist for the Associated Press, The Des Moines Register and The Oregonian. In May 2017, she will graduate from Johns Hopkins University with a master's degree in communications, and in her spare time she volunteers with the Health Literacy Coalition of Arizona, a group of volunteers working to improve health literacy for people and organizations in the entire state. . Molly is originally from Iowa and currently lives in Phoenix with her husband Nigel and two dogs, Lou and Churchill.

This talk was delivered at a TEDx event in the TED conference format, but independently organized by a local community. For more information, visit http://ted.com/tedx

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