Texas Marks Health Literacy Month for a Fourth Straight Year: Governor's Proclamation Calls Clear Medical Information Essential to Patient Well-Being
Texas is recognizing October as Health Literacy Month for the fourth consecutive year, under an annual proclamation from the Office of the Governor, UNT Health Fort Worth reported on Oct. 16. The proclamation, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in Austin on Sept. 14, 2026, states that clear and accessible medical information is essential to patient health and well-being. First Lady Cecilia Abbott joins in encouraging Texans to observe the month with appropriate programs and activities.
Health literacy is defined as the degree to which individuals can find, understand and use health information and services to make informed decisions for themselves and others. According to UNT Health, limited health literacy is associated with preventable outcomes including increased hospitalizations and medical expenses, poor management of chronic conditions and higher mortality rates. Language barriers can add to the difficulty of understanding health information and communicating with providers. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2030 initiative includes an objective to increase the proportion of adults with limited English proficiency who say their providers explain things clearly.
The observance has been championed in Texas by Teresa Wagner, DrPH, an associate professor at UNT Health Fort Worth. Wagner has worked to build the university's health literacy infrastructure, including a health literacy residency she first created as a doctoral student because none existed in the southwestern United States, so that future students have a place to learn the field's skills. She said awareness of health literacy across Texas has grown noticeably in recent years. UNT Health Fort Worth is located at 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：德州2026年「健康素养月」州长公告原件，州长格雷格·阿博特2026年9月14日于奥斯汀签署。图片来源：德州州长办公室公告，UNT Health Fort Worth发布。Photo: The official Texas proclamation for Health Literacy Month, October 2026, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in Austin on Sept. 14, 2026. Source: Office of the Governor, released by UNT Health Fort Worth.
