To empower consumers to achieve quality health care and well-being through education and accessing medical research.  We strive to: ·        Meet the growing demand for accurate, current, reliable and accessible health and medical information with special efforts toward the vulnerable and under-served.        ·        Provide specialized medical and health care searches to meet consumers� requested needs. ·        Contribute to health literacy. ·        Encourage preventive care and health management practices. ·        Promote informed decision-making. ·        Provide consumers with information regarding their health care questions and treatment options. ·        Deliver confidential and compassionate services through well-trained, experienced volunteers. ·        Maintain high standards of service and quality assurance through physician and medical librarian oversight. ·        Inform consumers about community resources.

Impact Summary from the Nonprofit While cancer, stroke, heart and respiratory diseases are common causes of death in this country, tens of thousands of people live with these conditions in their early-to-advanced stages. With greater numbers of the population overall, the prevalence of individuals and families who will have to cope with social and financial burdens related to disease management will rise. Diseases and chronic ill health also affect quality of life, contributing to declines in functioning. Poor health can have a negative influence on self-sufficiency and lead to costs for in-home and institutional care. Scientific research shows that personal health behaviors, or self-care as it�s referred to in the field, play a major role in the prevention of premature morbidity and mortality related to many chronic health problems. One of the most important breakthroughs in improving health is the discovery that avoidable morbidity and premature mortality can be prevented by taking simple actions that are within the grasp of most adults. By adopting recommended health behaviors, people can preserve their health and postpone and reduce the effects of chronic diseases. At the core of the Grillo Health Information Center, is the belief that individuals can and should take charge of their own health and well-being, and that most have the power within themselves to do so. Studies by the National Institute of Health show that low health literacy has a real financial cost to health care delivery systems. Poor health literacy is linked to higher rates of chronic illness, hospitalizations, and expensive emergency services. It affects everyone, and comes at a high price not only for health and well-being, but for the health care system in general. Low health literacy is estimated to cost between $106 and $234 billion annually.