Karen Komondor
Medina,Ohio
Summary
Nationally recognized health literacy expert and professional public speaker with 15-plus years of experience developing and launching innovative health literacy/health equity programs. Experience designing and delivering training programs and presentations that are tailored to meet the needs of clients. Strategic, servant leader seeking to leverage my experience specific to guiding and promoting evidence-based health literacy and clear communication strategies to improve patient experience, quality outcomes, safety, and equity within healthcare organizations and communities.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Founder, President
Health Literacy 360 LLC
2023.02
- Offer health literacy/equity presentations, training, and consulting services customized to meet organizational needs
- Trainings focus on the numerous ways that health literacy impacts care delivery, health outcomes, and public health
- Provide opening, closing, and plenary conference presentations related to health literacy
- Lead workshops and break-out sessions on how-to communication strategies
- Facilitate or participate in panel conversations highlighting a range of experiences and perspectives
- Provide Organizational consultations to assess health literacy best practices and provide recommendations for change.
Director, Health Literacy Institute
St Vincent Charity Medical Center
Cleveland , Ohio
2009.01 - 2022.11
- Created, cultivated, and led an interdisciplinary health literacy team since 2007
- Trained initial and new senior leaders on health literacy principles
- Secured needed fiscal and human resources for the Institute from senior leadership annually
- Developed policies and procedures that reflect evidence-based health literacy principles
- Led the revision of all hospital-created patient education materials to an average eighth-grade reading level or below
- Completed a market analysis of patient education vendors and chose vendor committed to health literacy print guidelines
- Trained all new hospital caregivers on health literacy principles during monthly orientation
- Spearheaded the development of plain-language patient information folders that were given to all admitted patients
- Administered annual health literacy workshops for new medical residents
- Created and administered annual health literacy mandatory competency modules to all hospital caregivers with 100% compliance
- Partnered with a local adult learning center to complete a navigation tracer of the hospital to assess the effectiveness of signage
- Based on tracer results and focus group feedback, signage was changed to plain language in both English and Spanish
- Executed 3 health literacy organizational assessments since 2011 and implemented strategies to address identified gaps
- Conducted a PI project to assess staff’s utilization of teach-back
- Results revealed 49% of patients acknowledged this strategy being used
- Chaired city-wide health literacy task force and led health literacy campaigns for the community.
Director, Organizational Development
St Vincent Charity Medical Center
Cleveland , Ohio
2002.01 - 2022.11
- Administered new hire caregiver competencies monthly
- Led the development and implementation of centralized nursing orientation monthly
- Initiated/maintained contracts/COIs for all schools across all disciplines; created orientation competencies for all nursing instructors and students including computer training
- Developed/implemented online competencies to all hospital caregivers annually with 100% compliance
- Collaborated with hospital directors annually to plan and assist with providing department specific competencies
- Coordinated/developed CE programs through the Learning Management System (LMS)
- Maintained status as a Provider Unit of Continuing Education through the OLN by completing re-approval application every 3 years
- Developed/implemented New Manager orientation as needed; coordinated leadership development classes annually
- Directed all functions and staff of the American Heart Association’s Community Training Center
- Led development and training for house-wide Electronic Medical Record upgrades
- Maintained productivity/budget targets year over year
- Maintained adequate staff levels in department; hired as needed; evaluated all staff annually.
Educator, Department of Nursing Education
St. Vincent Charity Hospital
Cleveland , Ohio
2000.01 - 2002.01
- Developed, implemented, and evaluated educational programs to meet the learning needs of all nursing caregivers
Staff Nurse-PRN
Cleveland Clinic Sports Health
1999.01 - 2002.01
- Provide direct Emergency Care to ill or injured persons at above-mentioned facilities during various city events
Critical Care Educator/Unit Coordinator
PHS Mt. Sinai Medical Center University Circle
1998.01 - 2000.01
- Assessed learning needs of staff in the Coronary, Medical and Surgical Intensive Care and Step down and Telemetry units; Prepared and presented in-services on various Critical Care topics based on learning needs.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Ohio University
Athens, OHSkills
- Public speaking
- Consulting
- Project management
- Written and verbal communication
- Microsoft Office
- Empathy
- Leadership
- Collaboration
- Perseverance
- Resilience
- Board Collaboration
- Strategic Planning
- Strategic Vision
Selected Presentations
- Navigating Health Literacy Challenges for Improved Access to Care, Breakout,All-Access Pass to Health Literacy Conference, Columbus Public Health, 03/2024
- Mastering the Art of Plain Talk: Empowering Healthcare Leaders with Teach-Back for Impactful Communication, 4-hour workshop, St. Jude Family Health Centers, Orange County, CA, 01/2024
- Mastering the Teach-Back Method: Elevating Healthcare Professionals' Communication Skills for Enhanced Patient Care, 4-hour workshop, St. Jude Family Health Centers, Orange County, CA, 01/2024
- Empathy Amplified: Transforming Healthcare through Compassionate Connections, Opening Keynote, Health Care Education Association annual conference, 09/2023
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication and Patient Safety, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, Medical Grand Rounds, 03/2023
- Proposal to The Joint Commission: Elevate Health Literacy to a National Patient Safety Goal, American Academy of Nursing Policy Conference, Washington DC, 10/2022
- Make Your Research Count: Learning from Health Systems What Is Useful and What They Need, Health Literacy Annual Research Conference, 10/2022
- Evolving as a Health Literate Organization: Awareness to Action, Plenary, Penn Medicine, 10/2022
- Developing a Proclamation for Health Literacy Month, Institute for Healthcare Advancement, 09/2022
- Health Literacy and Public Health, Case Western Reserve University, 07/2022
- Health Literacy: Tips for Better Health, Jesuit Retreat Center, Education Day for Retired Priests, Cleveland, Ohio, 11/2021
- Health Literacy and Public Health, Case Western Reserve University, 07/2021
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication and Patient Safety, Opening Keynote, Buckeye Health Plans Annual Conference, 06/2021
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication, National Aids Foundation, Opening Keynote, 05/2021
- Building Blocks of Clear Health Communication and Child Safety: Exploring Health Literacy, Universal Pre-K, Cleveland, Ohio, 04/2021
- Health Literacy: A Cornerstone of Clear Health Communication and Quality Care, Plenary, Ohio Association for Healthcare Quality, annual conference, 03/2021
- Journey to Organizational Health Literacy, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 12/2020
- Health Literacy and Emergency Preparedness: Implications for Organizations, Plenary, Ohio Health Literacy Partners Annual Conference, 10/2020
- National Council to Improve Patient Safety through Health Literacy, Health Literacy in Action Annual Conference, 10/2020
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication, CSU-NEOMED Partnership, 10/2020
- Health Literacy for Community Health Workers, Cleveland State University, 06/20/2020
- Health Literacy and Public Health, Case Western Reserve University, 06/2020
- Health Literacy 101, Opening Keynote, Buckeye Health Plans Annual Conference, 05/07/2020
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication and Patient Safety, Center for Bariatric Surgery, 01/2020
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication, CSU-NEOMED Partnership, 01/2020
- Health Literacy: Tips for Better Health in Retirement, Jesuit Retreat House, Parma, OH, 11/2019
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication and Patient Safety, Opening Keynote, Inaugural Ohio Health Literacy Partners Conference, Columbus, OH, 10/2019
- Health Literacy: Communicating with Clarity and Care, Plenary, Ohio Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy annual conference, (OSHCA), 10/2019
- Health Literacy and Patient Safety, Opening Keynote, Visiting Nurses Assoc. Conference, 10/2019
- Health Literacy and Sepsis, Plenary, Ohio Hospital Association Annual Conference, 09/2019
- Health Literacy and Public Health, Case Western Reserve University, 06/2019
- Health Literacy and Public Health: Introducing the Health Literacy Champions Toolkit, Plenary, Ohio Public Health Combined Conference, Columbus, Ohio, 05/15/2019
- Assessing Teach-back Utilization in an Urban Medical Center, IHA annual health literacy conference, Costa Mesa, California, 05/02/2019
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication, CSU-NEOMED Partnership (First-year med student cohort), 01/2019
- Health Literacy Long Conversation, Leadership Cleveland Education Day, 12/2018
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication, CSU-NEOMED Partnership (Final pre-med track cohort), 10/2018
- Health Literacy and Public Health: Introducing the Health Literacy Champions Toolkit, Cleveland Department of Public Health, 10/2018
- Health Literacy: Understanding Health and Benefit Information, Plenary, Ohio State University Health Plans Conference, 06/2018
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication, Seeds of Literacy, Cleveland, Ohio, 04/2018
- Health Literacy: Addressing Needs of the MRDD Community, Plenary, The Developmental Disabilities Practice-Based Research Network (DD-PBRN) Conference, 03/2018
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication, CSU-NEOMED Partnership, 11/2017
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication, Healthy Cleveland Initiative’s Co-Chairs conference, 10/2016
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication, CSU-NEOMED Partnership, 10/2016
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication, Healthy Cleveland Initiative, Health Literacy Committee, 09/2016
- Health Literacy: Cornerstone of Clear Health Communication, Opening Keynote, Hospice of the Western Reserve, 20th Annual Conference, 09/2016
- Health Literacy: A Foundation for Clear Health Communication and Patient Safety, Plenary, Embracing Diversity Conference, Northeast Ohio Medical University, 01/2016
- Health Literacy for Frontline Caregivers, Minority Health Alliance Open Meeting, 10/2015
- Health Literacy for Health Insurance Assisters, Opening Keynote, Ohio Association of Community Health Centers Conference, Columbus, Ohio, 06/2015
- Health Literacy: Understanding Health and Benefit Information, Medical Mutual of Ohio, 06/2015
- Health Literacy: Improving Communication for Better Health, Opening Keynote, Second Annual Ohio AADE Symposium, Columbus, Ohio, 06/2015
- Health Literacy: Understanding Health and Benefit Information, Medical Mutual of Ohio, 11/2014
- Health Literacy: Finding the Right Words for Better Health, NEO-AADE Meeting, 10/2014
- Health Literacy Journey at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, Regional Health Literacy Coalition Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, 10/2013
- Health Literacy Journey at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Health Literacy, Washington D.C., 04/2013
- Health Literacy: Enhancing Clinical Faculty’s Communication with Patients and Families, Breakout, Association of American Colleges (AAMC) Spring meeting, Miami, Fla., 03/2013
· “Health Literacy: Understand. Act. Live.” Better Health Greater Cleveland Learning Collaborative XI, Plenary presentation, September 2012
- “Health Literacy for the Healthcare Provider” Crossroads Hospice Annual Conference. Opening Keynote, May 2012
- “Health Literacy: You Can't Tell by Looking” NEON (Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services) April 2012
- “Health Literacy: 101” Cuyahoga County Child and Family Services Consortium Meeting. March 2012
- “Health Literacy in the Workplace” Northeast Ohio Wellness Council and Healthy Ohio Northeast Regional Business Council Conference, Opening Keynote presentation, December 2011.
- “Health Literacy: Finding the Right Words for Better Health” Kidney Foundation of Ohio. 36th Annual Renal Symposium, Opening Keynote presentation, September 2011.
- “Health Literacy101: An Overview” Visiting Nurses Association Annual Conference, Opening Keynote presentation, Cleveland. March 2011
- “Health Literacy: Finding the Right Words for Better Health” Closing the Gap, Physicians/Clinicians Metro Health Medical Center, Cleveland. December 2010
- “Health Literacy Journey at St Vincent Charity Medical Center, Toward better communication and health” National Webinar sponsored by Dorland Health. June 2010
- “Health Literacy 101” Cleveland Department of Public Health. Cleveland. April 2010
- “Low Health Literacy: You Can’t Tell by Looking” Pediatric Grand Rounds, Rainbow Babies, and Children’s Hospital, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland. March 2010
Professional Organizations Honors
- Ohio Health Literacy Partners (Co-founder, Board member and Immediate Past President)
- National Council to Improve Patient Safety through Health Literacy (Founder and Chair)
- Healthy Cleveland Initiative Health Literacy Committee (Chair)
- Regional Health Literacy Network (Member)
- Society for Health Communication (Founding Member)
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) Member
- Golden Key Honor Society (Current member)
- Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (Current Member)
- National Association of Professional Women (Current member)
- Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (current member)
- Minority Health Alliance of Cleveland (Current member)
- Friend of Health Literacy Annual Award received from Project: LEARN; March 2010
- Nominated: Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award, Ohio Hospital Association, 2011
Publications
- Komondor, K. & Choudhury, R. (2021). Assessing teach-back utilization in a downtown medical center. Health Literacy Research and Practice, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.3928/24748307-20210719-01
- Komondor, K. (2012). Raising health literacy awareness: The Ohio health literacy conference series. Northern Ohio Physician. 97(4), 11.
- Komondor, K., (2012). Raising Health Literacy Awareness. Cleveland Campus District Observer. 2(8).
- Komondor, K., (2013). Ohio Health Literacy: Understand. Act. Live. Northern Ohio Physician. 98(1), 11.
Media Appearances
- Cleveland TV20: Scope of Low Health Literacy Issues and Strategies for Improved Health Communication, October 2018
- WTAM Radio Show: What is Health Literacy? October 2012
- WDOK Radio Show: Speak Up and Stay Alive. June 2012
- Cleveland Plain Dealer: What is Health Literacy? October 2011 - Interviewed for a feature article.
- Patient Education Management, AHC Media. Health Literacy and Patient Education, April 2011 - Interviewed for a feature article.
- Catholic Health World, Catholic Health Association of the U.S. St Vincent Charity Promotes Health Literacy; March 2011 - Interviewed for a feature article.
Timeline
Founder, President
Health Literacy 360 LLC
2023.02
Director, Health Literacy Institute
St Vincent Charity Medical Center
2009.01 - 2022.11
Director, Organizational Development
St Vincent Charity Medical Center
2002.01 - 2022.11
Educator, Department of Nursing Education
St. Vincent Charity Hospital
2000.01 - 2002.01
Staff Nurse-PRN
Cleveland Clinic Sports Health
1999.01 - 2002.01
Critical Care Educator/Unit Coordinator
PHS Mt. Sinai Medical Center University Circle
1998.01 - 2000.01
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Ohio University
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