One Check Away Wins Spectrum Grant to Boost Digital Health Literacy

A doctor’s appointment no longer begins only in a waiting room.

For many people, it starts with an online portal, a telehealth link, a digital form, or a search for reliable health information. That simple fact is why this news matters.

One Check Away has been selected as one of just 56 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive a 2026 Spectrum Digital Education Grant. Spectrum awarded $1.1 million in grants this year to nonprofits helping people build digital skills and access the technology and resources needed to learn, work, and stay connected.

Since 2017, the Spectrum Digital Education program has invested more than $12 million in organizations across the country.

For One Check Away, the grant will support a clear and practical goal: helping community members build the digital health literacy skills needed to confidently access health information, healthcare tools, and community resources.

Digital health access often begins at home, before a patient visits a clinic.

Why this grant matters now

Digital tools are no longer separate from daily life. They shape how people pay bills, apply for benefits, check school updates, compare pharmacy hours, renew prescriptions, and look for community support.

Healthcare is one of the clearest examples.

Today, people may be expected to:

• Schedule appointments online

• Read lab results through patient portals

• Join telehealth visits

• Complete digital intake forms

• Find trustworthy health information

• Manage prescription refills

• Communicate with care teams through secure messages

• Locate available health and community services

  
  

Each task can look simple on its own. Together, they can create a real barrier for someone who is uncomfortable using technology, has limited internet access, does not know which health websites to trust, has never been shown how a patient portal works, or is worried about making a mistake.

That barrier has a name: limited digital health literacy.

Digital health literacy is the ability to find, understand, evaluate, and use health information and health-related technology. It is not only about owning a smartphone or knowing how to send a text. It includes confidence, judgment, privacy awareness, and the ability to take the next step when something online is confusing.

For many families, that next step can affect care. A missed portal message may mean a missed test result. A confusing online form may delay an appointment. A telehealth link that does not work may turn into a canceled visit. A search result with poor information may lead someone away from trusted care.

The Spectrum grant gives One Check Away added support to address those everyday challenges with direct education and community-centered digital skills training.

Digital access is now part of health access

Health access used to be discussed mostly in terms of insurance, transportation, provider availability, affordability, and language. Those remain major issues. But digital access now sits beside them.

A person may have coverage and still struggle to book a visit online. A clinic may offer telehealth, but a patient may not know how to use video settings or upload a form. A community member may have a phone, but limited data, an old device, or no private place to ask questions.

Digital barriers can show up in quiet ways.

Someone may avoid using a portal because they are afraid of clicking the wrong button. Someone may not know how to reset a password, download an app, or identify a secure website. Another person may not understand why a health system asks for two-factor authentication. A caregiver may be trying to manage health information for a parent or child across several different systems.

These are not personal failures. They are signs that technology has changed faster than many support systems around it.

One Check Away’s work focuses on closing that gap in practical terms. The grant will help the organization support community members as they build the skills needed to use common digital tools with more clarity and confidence.

A basic login screen can become a barrier when people lack support using digital tools.

What One Check Away aims to support

The grant will help One Check Away expand work tied to digital health literacy and community resource access. The goal is not to turn everyone into a technology expert. The goal is to make routine online health tasks less intimidating and more manageable.

That may include support with skills such as:

• Using a patient portal

• Creating and protecting passwords

• Joining a telehealth appointment

• Uploading or completing digital forms

• Searching for reliable health information

• Understanding privacy and security basics

• Finding nearby health and social services online

• Communicating with healthcare providers through secure tools

  
  

These skills matter because they connect people to care.

A patient portal can show lab results, appointment notes, medication lists, and follow-up instructions. A telehealth visit can save travel time and make care easier to reach. A trusted website can help someone prepare better questions before seeing a provider. A community resource directory can point someone toward food support, transportation, housing assistance, or local health services.

The real value is not the device. The value is what the device helps a person do.

When community members know how to use digital tools, they can ask better questions, follow care instructions more easily, and find resources sooner. They can also feel less dependent on guesswork.

The grant is part of a national effort

Spectrum’s Digital Education program supports nonprofits that help people gain digital skills and access technology.

Many services have moved online, but access to the internet and comfort using digital tools are not evenly shared. Age, income, language, disability, geography, education, and past experience with technology can all affect a person’s ability to use digital services.

The issue is nationwide, and it affects both urban and rural communities. Some people have limited broadband options. Others share one device across a household. Some rely on public Wi-Fi. Others have internet access but still need help understanding websites, apps, security codes, and online forms.

Digital education grants help nonprofits meet people where they are. That local, hands-on support is often what turns a confusing tool into something useful.

For One Check Away, being selected as a 2026 Spectrum Digital Education Grant recipient places its work within that larger national push to make digital access more practical, more inclusive, and more connected to real needs.

Digital skills training works best when people can ask questions in a supportive setting.

Why digital health literacy requires trust

The internet gives people access to more health information than ever before. That access can be helpful, but it can also be overwhelming.

Search results may include a mix of reliable medical guidance, personal stories, sponsored content, outdated pages, and false claims. A person looking for information about symptoms, medications, benefits, or local services may not know which source to trust.

Digital health literacy includes the ability to pause and ask basic questions:

• Who created this information?

• Is it from a health system, public health agency, university, or recognized nonprofit?

• Is the page current?

• Does it make extreme promises?

• Is it trying to sell something?

• Does it encourage talking with a healthcare professional?

  
  

These questions can protect people from confusion and misinformation. They can also help patients and caregivers use online information as a starting point for better conversations with care teams.

Trust also matters when using patient portals and telehealth tools. People need to know how their information is protected, why login steps matter, and how to recognize suspicious messages. They need room to ask questions without feeling embarrassed.

That is why community-based digital education can be powerful. It treats digital skills as teachable, not as something people are simply expected to know.

Small skills can make a large difference

A single digital skill may look minor, but it can change how someone experiences care.

Learning how to save a telehealth link can reduce stress before an appointment. Knowing how to send a secure message may help someone ask a follow-up question without waiting on hold. Understanding how to read portal notifications can help a patient see when a provider has shared new instructions.

Even password support can matter. Many people get locked out of accounts because of forgotten passwords, expired links, or multi-step verification codes. When that happens, health information may feel out of reach.

Good digital education starts with patience. It also starts with real-life tasks.

For example, a community member may not need a broad lesson on the internet. They may need help doing one specific thing, such as finding a portal, checking a lab result, or locating a nearby clinic. Once that task becomes familiar, the next one feels less difficult.

This is where One Check Away’s grant-supported work can have practical impact. The organization can focus on the moments where digital confusion becomes a health access barrier and help people move through those moments with support.

Community resources are part of the picture

Digital health literacy is not limited to doctor visits and lab results. Health is also shaped by food, housing, transportation, employment, insurance, caregiving, and other daily needs.

Many community resources are now found, requested, or managed online. That can include applications for assistance, benefit renewals, appointment requests, eligibility screenings, and service directories.

For someone already under stress, a confusing website or digital form can feel like one more locked door.

Helping people navigate online resource systems can connect them to support sooner. It can also reduce the burden on caregivers, clinics, schools, and local service providers who often help people troubleshoot digital access informally.

A stronger digital skill base benefits the whole community. People can find information more quickly. Organizations can share resources more effectively. Families can better understand what services are available and how to reach them.

Building healthier, more connected communities takes partnership

One Check Away's selection as one of 56 nonprofit recipients of the 2026 Spectrum Digital Education Grant represents an important investment in our growing work at the intersection of health access, education, and community support.

Since 2017, Spectrum Digital Education has awarded more than $12 million to nonprofits and their communities, delivering 438 grants to 233 unique organizations. Through the initiative, more than 20,000 laptops and devices have been distributed, more than 50,000 digital education classes have been sponsored, and programs have benefited nearly 225,000 community members across the United States.

We're honored to now be part of that work.

At One Check Away, we believe digital education is most effective when it is practical, approachable, and connected to people's real lives.

A workshop, one-on-one conversation, printed guide, or patient support session can help someone solve a challenge they are facing today while building confidence they can use again tomorrow.

Someone who learns how to join a telehealth visit may later feel more comfortable accessing an online benefits portal.

Someone who learns how to identify trustworthy health information may share that knowledge with a family member.

A caregiver who understands patient portal basics may be better equipped to help a loved one stay connected to care.

That ripple effect is part of what makes this grant so meaningful.

Online tools and printed resources can work together to help people find support.

Thank you to Spectrum for supporting this work

One Check Away is deeply grateful to Spectrum for recognizing our mission and investing in the communities we serve.

The 2026 Spectrum Digital Education Grant will help us expand efforts to make digital health tools more approachable, useful, and accessible while providing community members with patient guidance that meets them with respect.

This support comes at a time when digital skills are increasingly connected to everyday health and well-being. People need clear ways to find health information, connect with providers, manage their care, and access community support.

We're proud to join this year's class of Spectrum Digital Education Grant recipients and look forward to turning this opportunity into meaningful community impact.

Because ultimately, the takeaway is simple:

When people can access information, understand their options, and confidently use the tools available to them, they are better prepared to care for themselves, their families, and their communities.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.