About

Joy V. Goldsmith, PhD, conducts research about health communication science, specifically in the context of serious and chronic illness. Her numerous books and articles in clinical as well as communication journals address health literacy, communication pedagogy, oncology nurse communication, interprofessional communication, and family caregiver communication. CommunicateComfort.com, a long-time initiative of Dr. Goldsmith, serves to house and disseminate a range of research interventions and education/training curriculum for healthcare providers.

Storyboard creation and development, e-learning module formation, and mhealth design and navigation are dimensions of Goldsmith’s applied research linking media, theatre, and film across her body of work. COMFORT training has occurred through regionally and nationally grant-funded training courses as well as healthcare systems including MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Veterans Administration, in addition to undergraduate and graduate university provider training programs across America, Australia, and Kenya. Goldsmith is the co-author of seven books, with the last four published by Oxford University Press. Her team is currently writing their eighth volume, Essentials of Nursing Communication, published by Elsevier Press. Joy is the Founder and Co-Director of the University of Memphis Center for Health Literacy and Health Communication. She also serves as an Affiliate Faculty member in the School of Public Health.

Education

PhD, University of Oklahoma 
MS, Southern Illinois University 
BA, Bethel College 

Recent Honors and Awards

2022	Benjamin W. Rawlins, Jr. Meritorious Professorship Award, College of Communication and Fine Arts, University of Memphis.
2022	Graduate Mentor Award, Graduate Student Association, University of Memphis.
2022	Top Paper, Communication and Aging Division, National Communication Association. Ball, H., Bevan, J., Wittenberg, E., & Goldsmith, J.V. Understanding the Perspectives of family Caregivers of an Older Adult Relative During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Investigation.
2022	Top Paper Panel, Training and Development Division, National Communication Association. Terui, S., Goldsmith, J.V., Wittenberg, E., & Alabere, R., Williams-Click, Y.  An mHealth Communication Training Resource for BSN Nursing Students: The COMFORT Communication App.
2021	Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Research in the Social Sciences, Business & Law. University of Memphis.
2021	University Research Professorship. University of Memphis.
2020	Brommel Award, Outstanding Scholarship or Distinguished Service in Family Communication. National Communication Association.
2019	Dean’s Engaged Research Award, College of Communication and Fine Arts. University of Memphis.

Selected Publications

Terui, S., Goldsmith J. V., Huang, J., Yang, C. C., Yu, X., Deng, L. Y., & Wicke, R. (Epub ahead of print). Validating the Communicating Care Needs Tool for HIV (CCNT-HIV). Journal of Health Communication. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2023.2271876 (4.4 impact factor)

Wittenberg, E., Goldsmith, J. V., Savage, M., & Sullivan, S. (2023). Exploring differences in caregiver communication in serious illness. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 26(7), 922-929. https://doi:10.1089/jpm.2022.0406 (1.917 impact factor)

Wittenberg, E., Bevan, J. & Goldsmith, J. V. (2023). Assessing Family Caregiver Communication in Chronic Illness: Validation of the FCCT-C. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 40, 500-507. https://doi: 10.1177/10499091221106694 (2.090 impact factor)

Pfender, E., Wittenberg, E., Kerr, A., & Goldsmith, J. V. (2023). Family Communication in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Applying the Family Caregiver Communication Typology to Parent Caregivers. Health Communication, 38(13):2945-2955. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2022.2128232 (3.501 impact factor)

Selected Grant Activity

Co-Investigator. Platform development for the Communicate Health Needs Tool (CCNT). Pending submission to the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA) in January, 2024. PI Sachiko Terui. 

Co-Investigator. The impact of social determinants of health, post-sepsis health literacy, and caregiver communication on recovery trajectories after sepsis. Pending R15 submission to NIH NINR in February, 2024. PI Reba Umberger.

Co-Investigator. Overcoming communication challenges for carers of people with cancer. Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Australia. PI Eva Yuen. (Funded $29,989, January 2024-December 2024).

Faculty. Workforce Pipeline Grant. CDC. PI Joshi Ashish. (Funded $13.8 Million, December 2022-2027).