Advocate for Your Health | Molly Hottle | TEDxTucson

Have you ever felt confused or overwhelmed after a visit to the doctor's office? If you have, you're not alone. Many people have poor health literacy,or the inability 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 communication specialist in the health care field. She is currently a senior marketing and communication specialist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and previously worked in strategic communication for Providence Health & Services in Portland, Oregon. It was through this work that she experienced first-hand the literacy gap between medical professionals and the patients they treat. Before moving into health care communication, 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 communication, and in her free time, she volunteers with the Health Literacy Coalition of Arizona, a group of volunteers working to improve health literacy for people and organizations across the state. Molly is originally from Iowa and currently lives in Phoenix with her husband Nigel and two dogs, Lou and Churchill.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx