Medboard Matters Podcast
Have you ever listened intently at a medical appointment just to leave with only a vague idea of what is going on with your health, let alone what you should do about it? In fact, studies suggest that as many as 9 out of 10 patients have trouble understanding medical information at some point in their lives. On this episode of MedBoard Matters we are discussing health literacy and how a lack of it adversely affects virtually all patients.
Posted October 22, 2025 |
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Resources and Information
Health Literacy Fact Sheets from Center for Health Care Strategies
Healthy People 2030 (Healthy People 2030 sets data-driven national objectives to improve health and well-being over the next decade)
NCMB's Health Literacy Resource Page
Health Literacy Flyer (for healthcare providers)
The Importance of Health Literacy Brochure (for consumers)
Informed Consent Flyer (for healthcare providers)
The Significance of Informed Consent Brochure (for consumers)
Podcast Transcript
Download Transcript (182KB pdf file)
Hosts and Guests
Jean Fisher Brinkley
Communications Director, North Carolina Medical Board
Jean Fisher Brinkley is NCMB’s Communications Director, a role that involves developing and overseeing production of communications materials and strategies needed to enhance public and professional awareness and understanding of the Board and its mission. She joined NCMB in 2008, after an 11-year career in newspaper journalism, most of it dedicated to reporting on medicine, health policy and the business aspects of health care.
Brinkley earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Mills College in Oakland, CA, and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in Raleigh with her husband and two daughters.
You can reach Jean at podcast@ncmedboard.org
Sharona Y. Johnson, PhD, FNP-BC
System Administrator for Advanced Clinical Practice, ECU Health Medical Center
Dr. Johnson is a current NCMB Board Member and the System Administrator for Advanced Clinical Practice (Physician Assistants, Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, NC. As a Family Nurse Practitioner, she practices at East Carolina University (ECU) Division of Nephrology and Hypertension in Greenville. Dr. Johnson has worked in various healthcare organizations across the United States due to her husband’s service with the United States Air Force. Dr. Johnson entered the nursing profession as a diploma nurse in Rapid City, SD, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from South Dakota State University. She then trained as a Family Nurse Practitioner in the master’s degree program at the ECU College of Nursing, where she also earned her PhD in Nursing. Dr. Johnson serves as an Assistant Research Professor and Preceptor Development Coordinator with the ECU College of Nursing.