diff --git a/qbit-assistant/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/assistant/health/AssistantHealthWidget.java b/qbit-assistant/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/assistant/health/AssistantHealthWidget.java
index 0f513ea..6b8cab3 100644
--- a/qbit-assistant/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/assistant/health/AssistantHealthWidget.java
+++ b/qbit-assistant/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/assistant/health/AssistantHealthWidget.java
@@ -42,6 +42,24 @@ public class AssistantHealthWidget extends AbstractWidgetRenderer
 {
    public static final String NAME = "assistantHealth";
 
+   public static final String NOT_CHECKED = "Not checked yet";
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    ** Human words for a health status; unknown means no check has reported yet.
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   static String wording(HealthStatus status)
+   {
+      return (switch(status)
+      {
+         case UP -> "Healthy";
+         case DEGRADED -> "Degraded";
+         case DOWN -> "Down";
+         case UNKNOWN -> NOT_CHECKED;
+      });
+   }
+
 
 
    /*******************************************************************************
@@ -72,8 +90,8 @@ public class AssistantHealthWidget extends AbstractWidgetRenderer
             .map(check -> runner.getLastOutcome(check.getName()))
             .map(outcome -> outcome == null ? HealthStatus.UNKNOWN : outcome.getStatus()).toArray(HealthStatus[]::new));
       }
-      return (new RenderWidgetOutput(new StatisticsData().withCount(status.name())
-         .withCountContext("System Health")
+      return (new RenderWidgetOutput(new StatisticsData().withCount(wording(status))
+         .withCountContext("System Health. Provider checks run every 1 to 5 minutes; model checks every 6 hours")
          .withCountURL(FilterLinkBuilder.href("health_check", List.of(Map.of("fieldName", "component", "operator", "EQUALS", "values", List.of("assistant")))))));
    }
 }
diff --git a/qbit-assistant/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/assistant/health/AssistantHealthChecksTest.java b/qbit-assistant/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/assistant/health/AssistantHealthChecksTest.java
index 691cc6e..017e8e9 100644
--- a/qbit-assistant/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/assistant/health/AssistantHealthChecksTest.java
+++ b/qbit-assistant/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qbits/assistant/health/AssistantHealthChecksTest.java
@@ -606,7 +606,8 @@ class AssistantHealthChecksTest extends BaseAssistantTest
       assertThat(qInstance.getWidget(AssistantHealthWidget.NAME).getType()).isEqualTo(WidgetType.STATISTICS.getType());
       var renderer = new AssistantHealthWidget();
       StatisticsData data = (StatisticsData) renderer.render(new RenderWidgetInput()).getWidgetData();
-      assertThat(data.getCount()).isEqualTo("UNKNOWN");
+      assertThat(data.getCount()).isEqualTo("Not checked yet");
+      assertThat(data.getCountContext()).contains("Provider checks run every 1 to 5 minutes");
       assertThat(data.getCountURL()).startsWith("/app/").contains("health_check", "assistant");
       try(var central = cached("assistant.provider." + row.getId(), HealthCheckOutcome.up("Reachable"), Instant.now()))
       {
@@ -614,14 +615,14 @@ class AssistantHealthChecksTest extends BaseAssistantTest
          cache.setAccessible(true);
          cache.invoke(central, AssistantHealthChecks.CLIENT_ERRORS, HealthCheckOutcome.up("0 client errors reported in the last hour"));
          data = (StatisticsData) renderer.render(new RenderWidgetInput()).getWidgetData();
-         assertThat(data.getCount()).isEqualTo("UP");
+         assertThat(data.getCount()).isEqualTo("Healthy");
 
          //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
          // many client errors in the last hour show on the card as well //
          //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
          cache.invoke(central, AssistantHealthChecks.CLIENT_ERRORS, HealthCheckOutcome.degraded("25 client errors reported in the last hour"));
          data = (StatisticsData) renderer.render(new RenderWidgetInput()).getWidgetData();
-         assertThat(data.getCount()).isEqualTo("DEGRADED");
+         assertThat(data.getCount()).isEqualTo("Degraded");
       }
    }
 }