The CTSI “All of You” Community Health Education Series began in 2020 as a way for the community engagement staff and faculty of the MCW/CTSI All of Us Research Program to share evidence-based health information virtually. Invitations to attend these hour-long WebEx sessions are sent to program participants and prospects; shared with advisory board members, friends, and family; and disseminated via social media (@AllofUsMKE). Anyone can attend, but registration is required.
Sessions are typically held every other Wednesday from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and cover a range of health topics that 1) have been identified as important and interesting by the communities from which the MCW/CTSI All of Us Research Program recruits, and/or 2) align with a national disease-related observance (e.g., American Heart Month in February, National Stroke Awareness Month in May). Ties to research and precision medicine are incorporated into each session.
In 2020, session topics included diabetes, prostate cancer, sickle cell disease, breast cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Some of the 2020 sessions were repeated in Spanish; in 2021, all sessions will be repeated, with the first session of each month presented in English, and the second presented in Spanish. Session presenters are medical and/or health education professionals with expertise in the topic and strong community ties. Many presenters and support staff for the “All of You” sessions are Spanish bilingual/bicultural.
Each “All of You” session opens with a set of educational slides about the topic. The second half of the session is more dynamic, with the presenter answering questions from the audience. Questions are shared privately in the chat, and then read aloud by the session facilitator. The facilitator encourages attendees to share future topic ideas via the brief post-session survey, or by email or phone.
The session closes with a list of resources related to the topic, and a $25 cash drawing, with one randomly selected non-staff attendee as the winner. All sessions are recorded and posted on the MCW All of Us Research Program’s YouTube playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrIxHTnlgKJ2hm8BUOEbFU4AyaIbtgnaX
Goals & Objectives of the All of You Health Education Series
Provide evidence-based health information in clear, accessible language to the public, with an opportunity for bidirectional communication with a topic expert.
Ensure equal access to health information for community members whose primary or preferred language is Spanish.
Keep a pulse on health concerns and priorities in the community and communicate with the program’s local Community Advisory Board (CAB) on ways to address.
Establish the MCW/CTSI staff and faculty of the All of Us Research Program as trusted sources of health information.
Build interest in research and precision medicine by linking it to a disease or condition that may have personal relevance for attendees.
Empower community members with “myth-free” health knowledge and connect them to local resources.
Welcome presenters from diverse academic institutions, health centers, and community service agencies.
Contact information
For more information about the “All of You” Health Education Series, please contact Taquanda Gilbert, Community Program Coordinator, at tgilbert@mcw.edu.
NIH Funding Acknowledgment:Important Reminder – Please acknowledge the NIH when publishing papers, patents, projects, and presentations resulting from the use of CTSI resources by including the NIH Funding Acknowledgement.
