A belated Happy October to you all. My sincerest apologies for the delayed release of this month’s newsletter. In an unhappy accident, I was ill the first week of this national Health Literacy Month. While that delayed our newsletter, among other things, it gave me an opportunity to be thankful that our state has so many school-based health centers dedicated to helping our children become health literate and navigate the healthcare system. Whether you are an adult like me (that’s me with a receding hairline in the cartoon below) or a young person, the skills it takes to access healthcare (where is a clinic that is open now?), follow healthcare instructions (when do I take this medication?), or understand medical jargon (what does pulse ox mean? why am I signing a consent form?), can be hard to learn. So, as you navigate the rest of this month of October, remember to thank the providers, teachers, and others who’ve helped you navigate what can be a dauntingly complicated healthcare system. And if you want to celebrate Health Literacy Month, check out:  www.healthliteracymonth.org or www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/.