We cover fundamental matters
in this alphabetized Stylebook:
punctuation, capitalization, format.
We’re picky about this stuff
because that pickiness adds up
to a clear, appealing consistency
So here you’ll find entries on how
to write time and dates, when to
use acronyms, if “copayment” is
spelled with or without a hyphen,
and our capitalization of work
titles. We largely base our style on
The Associated Press Stylebook.
Our backup is The Chicago
Manual of Style. And at times
we take a third path, deciding
what makes most sense for
CareOregon and our audiences.
For additional spelling questions,
our dictionary of choice is
Merriam-Webster.
Note that our writing style, tone of
voice and formatting certain written
elements, are different subjects.
We cover those in later sections.
The entry word, in its correct form, is in boldface.
The text explains the usage. Examples of correct and incorrect usage are in italic.
abbreviationsAbbreviate titles when used before a full name. Gov. Kate Brown admires Sen. William Morris. In social media, drop the period after the title.
academic degreesUse an apostrophe in
bachelor’s and master’s degree. No apostrophe in associate degree.
If you’re mentioning a degree to establish someone’s credentials, it’s best to avoid an abbreviation and instead use a phrase, such as: Phoebe Randall, who has a doctorate of
pharmacy. . . If that construction is awkward: The mayor presented the award to John
Sanchez, PhD, for his work with teenagers.
Use RN, MSW and MD only when you have
to identify many individuals by degree on first
reference, when the need would make the
preferred form cumbersome. Use only after a
full name, never after just a last name.
Set off an academic degree or professional
credential abbreviation with a comma: Sue Smith, RN.
Note: CareOregon style does not use periods when abbreviating academic degrees:
PhD rather than Ph.D. This is an exception to
AP style. For greater clarity, we use academic
and professional degrees, not the general “Dr.”
When using less-familiar acronyms, explain what
they mean.
For multiple people with doctorates: The
speakers include John Sanchez, PhD; Greta
Reike, PhD; and Margaret Jefferson, PhD.
acknowledgment
Not acknowledgement.
acronyms and initialismsGovernment and
agencies are awash in them, but they make
readers stumble. We’ll refer to both types
of abbreviations as “acronyms.” Avoid them
whenever possible unless they are well-known
(see below).
For external documents, avoid COA for
CareOregon Advantage and RCT for Regional
Care Teams.
If at all possible, introduce no more than one
such abbreviation per sentence. Our updated
style is to put the acronym in parentheses after
the first reference. Generally, present like this: The Oregon Health Plan (OHP) is the state’s
Medicaid program. CareOregon serves
OHP clients.
Look for ways to avoid an acronym altogether
on second reference. The Oregon Health
Authority is the state agency that administers
OHP. The health authority works closely with
the federal government.
Some acronyms are widely understood and can stand alone. CPR, DNA, PTA, NAACP, ER, CEO.However, if you have space, emergency room is preferred on first reference to ER.
addresses, streetOur style is no periods
after NW, SW, N, SE, NE when used with a
numbered address. Use the abbreviations Ave,
Blvd, St only with a numbered address. CareOregon is located at 315 SW Fifth Ave,
Portland, OR 97204 Spell out Avenue, Street,
Boulevard when used without a street number, We are located at the corner of Southwest Fifth
Avenue and Oak Street In all cases, spell out
Road, Court, Circle and Highway.
Spell out numbered streets from First to Ninth.
Use numerals for 10th and up.The parade
begins at the corner of Northwest 10th Avenue
and Couch Street.
Affordable Care Act
(ACA).
agesAlways use figures. When the context doesn’t require years or years old, the figure is presumed to be years. Hyphenate when the age is expressed as an adjective before a noun, or a substitute for a noun. A 5-year-old boy loves apples. A boy, 5, said apples were his favorite fruit. The fruit basket is for the 5-year-olds. The children moved into the 5-year-old house. The youngest member of the family is a 3-month-old girl. The parents are in their 30s (no apostrophe).
Asperger's syndrome
Not Aspergers.
BlackCapitalized when talking about people with a shared cultural identity. Members of the Black community offered ideas for addressing health disparities. Also, use neither Black nor white as a singular noun. The plural nouns Blacks and whites are generally acceptable when clearly relevant and needed for reasons of space or sentence construction.
book titles and other compositionsDo not italicize. Set off title with quote marks, except for reference books. Capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters. “Gone With the Wind” “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
bus linesTake the TriMet No. 15 bus to Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center.
CareOregon
One word. Capital O.
caregiver, caregiving
One word.
ccIn correspondence, lowercase, no periods (“carbon copy,” “courtesy copy”).
C-suite titlesCEO is the only C-suite level title that stands on its own as an acronym.
cisgenderMay be used if necessary, and only with explanation, to refer to people who are not transgender in stories or materials about gender.
Cisgender refers to gender and is not synonymous with heterosexual, which refers to sexuality.
Coordinated Care OrganizationOur updated style is to lowercase: coordinated care organization (CCO). This style aligns us with the state. Plural is CCOs (no apostrophe).
copayment
Or copay. No hyphen.
county namesCapitalize “county” when it’s an integral part of a proper name. The new courthouse for Multnomah County will be located on the west end of the Hawthorne Bridge. Washington County’s health care workers work with patients from many cultures. We crossed the county line.
COVID-19The name of the disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2, a member of the coronavirus family. COVID is short for coronavirus disease.
dates Capitalize months, always. Updated style is to always spell out the months, unless space is an issue; then use abbreviated form. Do not use ordinal numbers, like 1st, 3rd, 4th. Do not say: The meeting is September 1st. Say: The meeting is September 1. Here are the correct short forms of months: Jan., Feb., March, April, May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.
Dates and days, rangeWhen date range is in the same month, use a hyphen: November 1-30. When date range spans months, use “through”: November 1 through December 15. For a span of days of the week, use “through”: Monday through Friday.In all cases, if space is an issue, substitute a hyphen.
day of the weekSpell out days of week. OK to abbreviate for social media or if space is a factor: Sun., Mon., Tues., Weds., Thurs., Fri., Sat. OK to drop period for space as long as clarity is not compromised.
daylight saving timeNo capitalization. No plural. When linked to a time zone: Pacific Daylight Savings Time.
dietitian
Not dietician.
doctorThe title “Dr.” applies to an individual who holds a doctor of dental surgery, doctor of medicine, doctor of optometry, doctor of osteopathic medicine, doctor of podiatric medicine, or doctor of veterinary medicine degree.
departmentsSpell out and capitalize. When members have questions, we welcome them to call Customer Service. We have job openings in our Customer Service Department.
drive-thru testing; drive-thru test siteLowercase, hyphenated.
email
Not e-mail.
emergency roomlowercase. OK to use “ER” on first reference, on its own. Do not need to write emergency room (ER). Avoid emergency department except in provider-facing pieces.
Eric C. Hunter CareOregon’s President and CEO prefers using his middle initial. In formal circumstances, may spell out Chief Executive Officer.
faxPreferred term for facsimile or facsimile machine.
follow-upHyphenate when using as an adjective. Be sure to conduct your follow-up session by the end of the week Do not use a hyphen in the verb form: I will follow up with you by the end of the week.
Free Nurse Advice LineNot 24/7 nurse line.
genderGender refers to a person's social identity. Sex refers to biological characteristics. Language around gender is evolving. Ideally, use plurals. We encourage members to make an appointment for a wellness visit so they and their provider get to know each other.
gender nonconforming (n), gender-nonconforming (adj) Use in broad references as a term for people who do not conform to the traditional view of two genders. The group is providing scholarships for gender-nonconforming students.
HanukkahThis is the preferred spelling for the Jewish Festival of Lights.
health care
Two words.
Health Share/CareOregonNot Health Share of Oregon-CareOregon. Separate with slash, not hyphen. In later references, use Health Share.
Health Share of OregonUse full name when it stands alone not combined with CareOregon.
HIPAAAcronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Avoid the acronym unless it’s in a quote. Instead refer to privacy laws or the federal law restricting release of medical information. If “HIPAA” is used in a quote, explain it.
holidays Fourth of July, July Fourth or Independence Day. Not 4th of July. Hanukkah. Christmas Day. Kwanzaa. Lunar New Year. Mawlid al-Nabi (birthday of Muhammad).
homelessnessExpress an individual’s situation as a person experiencing homelessness. Not homeless person.
hoorayNot hurray.
IndigenousCapitalized when referring to the original inhabitants of North America.
Indigenous Peoples DayA holiday celebrating the original inhabitants of North America, observed in some U.S, localities instead of the federal Columbus Day holiday.
in-houseNot inhouse.
job titlesCapitalize job titles only when they are paired with a person’s name. Senior Strategist Daisy Duck said we should position ourselves with Mickey. Unlike AP, we also capitalize job titles appearing after a name. Daisy Duck, Senior Strategist for Population Health, said. . .Lowercase title when there’s no name. If we hire a senior strategist, we’ll seek her opinion of an alliance with Mickey.
judgmentNot judgement.
Latino, Latina, LatinxAP style prefers Latino as the noun or adjective describing a person from, or whose ancestors were from, a Spanish-speaking land or culture, or from Latin America. Latina is the feminine form. AP suggests the gender-neutral Latinx for those who prefer it. For now, CareOregon, too, leaves this as a choice depending on the audience and person or community being described, as there are different preferences. However, we lean toward Latinx.
legislator First reference, use Rep., Reps., Sen. and Sens. Spell out lowercase representative and senator in other uses. Provide party affiliation and district: Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, spoke recently.
legislatureCapitalize when preceded by the name of the state: The Oregon Legislature Retain capitalization when the state name is dropped, but the reference is specific to that state’s legislature. The Legislature debated the schools budget. Lowercase for legislatures in general. Campaigning is intense for seats in state legislatures.
loginNo hyphen when used as adjective: Use your login name. As a verb: Log in to the portal.
MAX light rialNo need to spell out Metropolitan Area Express.
MDMedical doctor. No periods. We differ from AP style here.
monthsWhen you’re using a month with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Christmas is Dec. 25. Spell out all months when using alone or with a year alone; no comma between month and year.
January 2018 was difficult for those living on the streets. OK to drop the period in social media or charts. See “dates” entry.
nonprofitNot non-profit. CareOregon is a nonprofit.
noon
Say noon, not 12 p.m.
numberUse No. as abbreviation for number when used to indicate position, rank or a specific number.
Number 1The Number 1 reason for a primary care visit is to develop a relationship with your provider. AP style is No. 1 but for clarity we can spell out Number. Do not use #1.
numbersWith few exceptions, such as ages, spell out numbers zero through nine. Use numerals for 10 and up. We signed up three new CareOregon Advantage members and 12 returning members. Do not add numerals in parentheses after a spelled-out number. Wrong: We have four (4) goals.
Free Nurse Advice LineNot 24/7 nurse line.
OKUse OK, not okay.
onboarding, onboardedWebster’s defines onboarding as a noun… Good onboarding leads to higher employee engagement and greater retention rates. Also in common use as a verb and adjective.
OregonSpell out in all instances unless there is a space issue. Then use the two-letter postal code, OR.
Oregon Health PlanOHP on second reference.
over-the-counterHyphenate as an adjective, as in over-the-counter products.
OTC cardCareOregon Advantage members receive a pre-loaded OTC card they may use to buy approved over-the-counter products at participating pharmacies.
penicillinNot Penicillin.
percentUpdated AP style is to use % sign for percents in most cases. Use figures for percents and percentages, even when single digit: 2.5% (use decimals). If less than 1%, start with a zero. The cost of living rose 0.9%.For a range, can use “to,” a hyphen or an “and.” Medicaid expansion affected those from 100% to 139% of the poverty level. Spell out “percentage” when used like this: The election was won by 4 percentage points. In casual uses, spell out “percent.” They thought Medicaid expansion had zero chance of failing in Oregon.
Singular or plural? Constructions with the % sign take a singular verb when standing alone or when a singular word follows an “of” construction. The shelter was at 75% of capacity in May. It takes a plural verb when a plural word follows an “of” construction. Nearly 80% of our members work at least part time.
phone numbersDo not identify the Portland
number as “local.” Simply say: 503-416-4100. Do
not use a leading “1” for a long distance number.
Separate digits with hyphens. Say toll-free —
lowercase with hypen unless is first word in line
For three-digit emergency, social services info
or TTY/TDD numbers, don’t use hyphens. In an
emergency, call 911. Members may connect
with nonprofit agencies and public services
by calling 211. Updated style for TTY/TDD is to
drop the TDD. Say TTY: 711 when in a phone
list; use TTY 711 (no colon) when in the flow of
a sentence. Default format for phone numbers
is flush left; may alter for design purposes.
pharmacistPharmD.
physical therapyNot Physical Therapy.
physician assistantNot physician’s assistant. Plural: physican assistants.
preregistration or preregisterNo hyphen, i.e., not pre-register or pre-registration. Or register in advance.
preventiveNot preventative There’s never a copay for covered preventive health screenings.
primary care providerNo capitalization. PCP is OK on second reference.
P.S.Capitalize the abbreviation for postscript.
Q&AUpdated default style is pose the question in boldface, and supply the answer in regular face. However, the writer and designer independent of each other have the choice of setting off the question with boldface Q. and the answer with A. in regular face, if they judge that, in that context, that’s better for clarity or design purposes.
RNregistered nurse. Plural: RNs.
room numbersUse numerals and capitalize “Room.” The meeting is in Room 200.
roomsCapitalize the names of specific rooms. The meeting is in the East Portland Community Center, Multi-Purpose Room 3. The enrollment fair is in the Dave Ford Room.
RSVPAn accepted acronym; French for “please reply.” RSVP for our member lunch by noon Monday, March 16. However, it may be more clear to say, Let us know by Monday March 16 if you can come to our member lunch.
search engine optimizationSEO on second reference.
seasonsThey are common nouns. Not capitalized. spring, summer, fall, winter.
sex reassignmentThe treatments, surgeries and other medical procedures used by transgender people to match their sex to their gender. sex reassignment is not necessary for people to transition their gender
signupNo hyphen, whether used as a verb or an adjective. The signup period for the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) is always open.
speeds20 mph, speeds of 5 to 10 mph.
T-shirtNot tee shirt. Not t-shirt.
taglinesEither italicize a tagline or put it in quotes. Not both. “bringing health care home” or bringing health care home.
time of dayUse figures except for noon and midnight. For a range of hours, it’s 8-10 a.m.; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Not 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Not 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
time and dateWhenever possible, place the time of an event before the date. The health fair is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Separate timeframes with a hyphen, with no extra spaces or “to.” Include day of the week if that information is helpful. Spell out day of week. Exceptions may be made for social media.
toll-freeHyphenate. Capitalize only at the beginning of a line. Use hyphens to separate the numerals. Call Customer Service toll-free at 855-722-8206.
transgender(adj) Describes people whose biology at birth does not match their gender identity. The shorthand trans is OK on second reference and in headlines. Do not use as a noun.
Tribe, Tribes, TribalAlways capitalize.Oregon is home to nine federally recognized Tribes.
Triple Aim
Capitalize this.
TTYNot TTY/TDD. Not Oregon Relay Service. Depending on context, is either TTY: 711 or TTY 711.
24 hours a day, every dayAvoid 24/7. The state has required that term be re-written. Preferred, depending on space and context: Every day, all hours. 24 hours a day, every day. 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
United StatesUse periods when abbreviated U.S. No periods for USA.
urgent care
lowercase.
versusPer AP, spell it out in ordinary speech and writing. The proposal to reform Medicare versus proposals to reform both Medicare and Medicaid at the same time. . . In short expressions, may use vs. (with period). The issue of fluoride vs. tooth decay is heated Court cases, use just v. (with period) Marbury v. Madison
web, website(Do not capitalize.) Also, webcast.
URLsDo not use leading www or https unless the URL won’t work without it. The web address of our coordinated care organization in Jackson County is jacksoncareconnect.orgNote:Even when at the end of a sentence, don’t use a period after a web or email address.
whoa
Not woah.
workplace titlesUnlike AP style, we capitalize a person’s work title whether it appears before or after the name. Sometimes a title goes smoothly before a name, and other times, not. Also, on second reference, use only the last name (or only the first name, depending on the situation), including for doctors. The keynote speaker is Bob Squarepants, Director of Development. This title is also short enough to go before the name: Director of Development Bob Squarepants will deliver the keynote speech. Squarepants is known for building grassroots financial support for nonprofits.
wraparoundOne word as an adjective: wraparound services. Not wrap-around services.
Our name is CareOregon, our central brand attribute is Caring, and we work in health care. So, as you might expect, we use a caring voice. It’s as conversational, approachable and clear as possible for all audiences. Our tone is warm, empathetic, genuine and respectful. We infuse our work with the appropriate brand expression which reflect our values: Steadfast, Thoughtful, Caring, Genuine, Optimistic and Brave. We humanize rather than institutionalize. And we strive to be culturally responsive, inclusive and diverse. Our work is informed by a creative brief that we develop with our clients. We consider content from our target audience’s point of view and needs, along with business goals.
Some practical ways we achieve this:
We follow the principles of plain language and health literacy:
These rules cover headlines and subheadings in print and digital. Writers and designers may depart from them when circumstance calls.
Write headlines using strong, active verbs. Use present tense for immediate past information, past tense for past perfect, and future tense for coming events. Label headlines (ones without a verb) are OK in the right circumstances. Present tense: The Legislature sees the light Past tense: The Legislature saw the light Future tense: The Legislature will see the light Label headline: Legislative awakening
Use “down” style for headlines and subheadings. Readability research says down style--also called “sentence case”--is most readable for those with limited literacy. In down style, in headlines and subheadings we capitalize only:
Headlines break some typical text rules.
Readability and clean design inform our formatting decisions.
Look for ways to break out info from the main text. In print and online, various types of lists are easy to scan and digest.
Use a bullet list for separating important points from the rest of the text. We are adopting the recommendations by the woman who writes businesswritingblog.com
Directly below is an example of bullet points
that complete the introductory stem. Below that
example is a version that does not need periods.
I like living in Seattle because of its:
Here are the things I like about living in Seattle:
There is an exception to putting periods after
bullet points that complete the stem sentence:
If they are one word or a short phrase that feels
like an inventory or shopping list, do not use
end punctuation.
Below is an example:
I like living in Seattle because of its:
Use a bullet list for separating important points from the rest of the text. There are lots of ways to set up lists of bullet points. Our style is simple. Use it for numbered lists and checklists, too.
Note punctuation and use of boldface. The period after the Q and the A differ from AP style, which uses a colon.
A. Because the flu can kill you.
As an overarching guideline, we strive for clear meaning and a lack of visual clutter.
In general, we follow Associated Press guidelines for punctuation. Exceptions typically involve periods. In a sentence used as an ad headline or subhead, for example, we ask if punctuation would be a helpful guidepost to meaning. If no, then we leave it off. Some specific rules:
We stick closely to Associated Press style when it comes to numbers. Some specific rules: