Institute For Healthcare Advancement

What Institute For Healthcare Advancement does

The Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization headquartered in Anaheim, California, that operates a dedicated health literacy franchise targeting healthcare professionals, health systems, educators, and public policy makers. Its mission is to equip health professionals and organizations to remove communication barriers so patients can manage their care; operations are organized around two primary platforms - the IHA Health Literacy Solutions Center, a community engagement hub at healthliteracysolutions.org with member directories, jobs and internships boards, resource collections, and event listings, and the IHA Academy at ihaacademy.org, a training and consulting platform offering structured learning tracks (Essentials, Health Literacy Foundations, Skill Building, Knowledge Building), the Health Literacy Specialist Certificate Program, skill courses such as PlainLanguage Pro, the Always Use Teach-Back Toolkit, and the open-access peer-reviewed Health Literacy Research and Practice journal.

The product surface is complemented by direct enterprise services (Copilot Program consulting, Organizational Assessment, customized Training Services), the "What To Do For Health" self-help book series plus chronic-illness and mental-health micro-publications, and three annual national continuing education conferences - Operational Solutions to Improve Health Literacy, Health Literacy in Action (HLiA), and the Health Literacy Research Conference (HARC). No proprietary technology stack, API, SDK, or mobile application is disclosed; the underlying technology is a standard web-platform delivery layer over community, content, and learning management functionality.

The business model is mission-driven and diversified across four revenue streams: training and consulting fees via the Academy, conference registration and sponsorship revenue, book and publication sales, and community/membership-supported content via the Solutions Center. Distribution is primarily direct and self-serve through web platforms for individual learners, with in-person and virtual conference channels for field convening and direct sales for enterprise training and consulting engagements. The organization's geographic focus is the United States, with platform and journal access extended globally; no parent company, investor ownership, or funding rounds are disclosed, and governance is exercised through a board including senior figures from UC Berkeley School of Public Health, the NY State Department of Health, and Scripps Health.

Name

Institute For Healthcare Advancement

Legal name

Institute for Healthcare Advancement

Website

https://iha4health.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the IHA Health Literacy Solutions Center community platform and the IHA Academy training platform, delivering certificate programs, consulting services, three annual national conferences, and the Health Literacy Research and Practice journal to healthcare providers, health systems, educators, and public health policy makers in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Literacy Education and Consulting

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Literacy (Navigating Care, Medication, Preventive Info) (EDAAAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health Sciences & Nursing (EDAGABAF)

Keywords

• Health literacy training
• Patient communication
• Healthcare professional education
• Plain language communication
• Health equity consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

La Habra

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Training and Consulting Services: The IHA Academy platform provides structured training programs including Health Literacy Specialist Certificate Program, Skill Building courses, PlainLanguage Pro, Always Use Teach-Back Toolkit, and organizational assessments. These programs serve as a revenue stream through professional development fees.
2. Conference Registrations: Three annual national continuing education conferences generate revenue through attendee registrations: Operational Solutions to Improve Health Literacy, Health Literacy in Action (HLiA), and Health Literacy Research Conference (HARC).
3. Self-Help Health Book Series: IHA publishes the self-help health book series 'What To Do For Health' and micro-publication series on mental health and managing chronic illnesses, generating revenue through book sales.
4. Membership/Subscriptions: The Health Literacy Solutions Center platform provides community engagement features, member and expert directory access, resource collections, and ongoing content that may be supported through organizational membership or subscription models.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IHA operates a multi-platform health literacy ecosystem centered on the Health Literacy Solutions Center (community engagement hub) and IHA Academy (training and consulting platform). It delivers certificate programs, peer-reviewed journals, organizational assessments, customized training services, self-help health books, and three annual national conferences to advance health literacy toward health equity.

Product overview

IHA operates as a multi-platform organization offering a comprehensive ecosystem of health literacy products and services. The core offerings include two primary platforms: the IHA Health Literacy Solutions Center (a community engagement hub for networking and best practice sharing) and IHA Academy (a training and professional development platform). Under IHA Academy, IHA delivers multiple integrated products including the Health Literacy Specialist Certificate Program, Health Literacy Research and Practice Journal, PlainLanguage Pro training, and the Always Use Teach-Back Toolkit. IHA also provides consulting services (Copilot Program, Organizational Assessment, Training Services), publishes the What To Do For Health self-help book series, and organizes three annual conferences: Operational Solutions to Improve Health Literacy, Health Literacy in Action (HLiA), and the Health Literacy Research Conference (HARC). The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing health literacy toward health equity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IHA Health Literacy Solutions Center: A community engagement hub bringing together individuals, organizations, and advocates passionate about health literacy. Serves as a space for networking, collaboration, and sharing best practices.
• IHA Academy
• Health Literacy Research and Practice Journal

Products and services

• IHA Health Literacy Solutions Center A community engagement platform that serves as a hub for networking, collaboration, and sharing best practices among individuals, organizations, and advocates passionate about health literacy. It enables members to connect, learn from one another, and amplify their collective voice in the pursuit of health equity.
• IHA Academy A dedicated platform providing high-quality training and consulting services for professional development in health literacy. Offers tailored resources and expert guidance for healthcare providers, educators, and policy makers to develop skills for effective health communication and literacy strategy implementation.
• Health Literacy Specialist Certificate Program A certificate program under IHA Academy focused on developing specialized expertise in health literacy for professionals seeking to advance their knowledge and credentials in the field.
• PlainLanguage Pro A skill-building program under IHA Academy focused on training professionals to communicate using plain, clear language that is accessible to diverse audiences with varying literacy levels.
• Always Use Teach-Back Toolkit A training toolkit focused on the teach-back communication method, designed to help healthcare professionals ensure patient understanding through interactive teaching techniques.
• Health Literacy Research and Practice Journal An online, peer-reviewed, open access journal dedicated to health literacy research and practice, providing a platform for disseminating scholarly work in the field.
• Copilot Program A health literacy consulting service that provides expert guidance and support to organizations seeking to improve their health communication strategies.
• Organizational Assessment A professional service that evaluates an organization's health literacy practices and provides recommendations for improvement.
• Training Services Customized health literacy training services delivered to healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and public health agencies to build internal capacity for effective health communication.
• What To Do For Health Book Series IHA's self-help health book series designed to provide accessible health information to patients and the general public, including titles like What To Do When Your Child Is Heavy.
• Health Literacy in Action Conference (HLiA) A co-sponsored national conference focused on health literacy policy and practice, bringing together professionals to advance health literacy initiatives.
• Health Literacy Research Conference (HARC) An annual health literacy research conference focused on disseminating and discussing the latest research in the field of health literacy.
• Operational Solutions to Improve Health Literacy Conference A national annual continuing education conference focused on operational solutions and practical strategies for improving health literacy within healthcare organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three national annual continuing education conferences serving health literacy professionals
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Janet Ohene-Frempong, MScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJanet Ohene-Frempong is recognized as a strategic partner with extensive knowledge and experience in health literacy. She collaborates with IHA to increase organizational capacity and provide service excellence. Her expertise in health literacy is leveraged across IHA's initiatives and programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE): Nonprofit organization advancing medicine communication and patient education. Directly comparable to IHA in mission (improving patient understanding of health information) and stakeholder base (clinicians, health systems, educators).
• Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care (IPFCC): Nonprofit providing training, resources, and consulting to integrate patient/family-centered practices into healthcare. Comparable operating model (nonprofit, training-led, healthcare professional audience) and overlapping health equity/communication themes with IHA.
• Center for Plain Language: Nonprofit promoting clear communication across sectors including healthcare. Directly comparable as a plain-language training and advocacy organization serving professionals and employers, with adjacent content/certification offerings.
• Society for Health Communication: Professional community and resource hub for health communication practitioners. Comparable as a membership-based community platform serving health literacy and communication professionals, with overlapping conference and resource functions.
• Health Literacy Media: Nonprofit specializing in plain-language health content design, training, and consulting. Directly comparable as a health literacy services and training organization serving health systems, insurers, and pharma clients.

Emerging players

• World Education, Inc. Nonprofit focused on adult education and literacy including health literacy programming. Comparable mission and adult-learner audience, with broader geographic reach and US Department of Education funding ties.

Broad incumbents

• American Public Health Association (APHA): Large professional association publishing the American Journal of Public Health and running continuing education programs. Comparable on the journal/conference/training axis but operates across all of public health rather than health literacy specifically.
• AMA Foundation: Health equity and physician education arm of the American Medical Association. Comparable in mission around health equity and provider education, but resources and reach are multiples of IHA's.
• National Library of Medicine (NLM): Federal agency distributing free, plain-language health information (MedlinePlus) and conducting health literacy research. Comparable on plain-language publishing and literacy research, but with governmental scale and reach.

Others

• ProLiteracy: Adult literacy nonprofit organization with health literacy programs and resources. Adjacent in adult literacy publishing/training ecosystem but not a direct competitor for IHA's healthcare-professional training niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-healthcare-advancement-iha-
• Xx.com/iha_the

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute For Healthcare Advancement