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Newsletter for the South Central Region
We spend each January preparing the next year's May 1-April 30 budget. The Year 04 NN/LM SCR budget was completed and submitted to NLM on January 30, and we look forward to providing our Network members with current as well as some new opportunities on May 1 when the new budget year will become effective. It is important for each Network member to take time to provide us with feedback throughout the year either via email, verbally, during NN/LM SCR committee meetings, or on class evaluation forms. We consider your suggestions in December-January as we prepare the annual budget for programming and services for the Region.
The Coordinators will have a very busy spring travel schedule. Thanks to all of you who have requested classes, etc. in your areas of the Region; the response has been overwhelming! At this time, we are unable to schedule new teaching requests until the beginning of May 2004. We encourage you to peruse our current schedule located at: http://nnlm.gov/scr/edn/calendar.htm to take advantage of training opportunities in your area, or the list of classes we do teach, http://nnlm.gov/scr/edn/class.htm to request a class in your area after May 1.
On January 12, 2004, EFTS made its long awaited appearance to the web. EFTS Web can be found at: https://efts.uchc.edu. Letters were mailed to all participants during the second week of January with login information.
EFTS Web offers a number of advantages. Participants are now able to:
What is coming up for EFTS?
Please contact me with any questions at: efts@uchc.edu or 866-561-5045.
The National Library of Medicine has redesigned the Extramural Programs home page to provide ease of access to numerous grant information resources. The page is located at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ep/extramural.html.
The site contains an informative list of available grants, links for first-time applicants, instructions on submitting an application, and descriptions of the review cycle. The information under the Help section is especially valuable. Users will find links to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), fundamentals of NLM grants, and an NIH grant-writing tutorial.
Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/) is a "one-stop shop" for all customers of Federal grants to electronically find, apply for, and manage grants. The site contains information on over 900 grant programs that are offered by more than 25 Federal grant-making agencies. Grant applicants will be able to quickly locate the necessary forms and instructions and in some cases, apply online. Users can search by grant making agency and type of grants. Improvements to the site are ongoing.
When the gates clanged shut behind me as I left the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), Darrington Unit, Rosharon, TX, I looked out at the free world with passionate relief. I was only in the prison for two days, and I went home at the end of both days but the experience left quite a lasting impression.
I was in the Darrington Unit for "Wall Talk: HIV/AIDS Peer Education Conference Inside the Texas Department of Criminal Justice," January 21-22, 2004. This is the second annual conference for peer health educators from state prisons and jails throughout Texas, organized by AIDS Foundation Houston (AFH) and funded in large part by a grant from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Approximately 115 male offenders from different units throughout the region were brought to the chapel in the Darrington Unit to be educated about the latest information on different kinds of health issues that affect them such as HIV, AIDS, hepatitis, staph infections, tuberculosis, and the West Nile virus.
AFH has been working with TDCJ and University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, since 1998, when it implemented a peer health education program inside the walls of the state prisons. Since 1999, the program has been approved by TDCJ for statewide implementation and currently trains the trainers within 22 institutions throughout the state. Selected offenders receive forty hours of training by AFH staff.
These peer educators return to their units and present the health information to their fellow inmates enabling them to make informed decisions about their behavior in prison and beyond. In many cases the classes are mandatory for the other prisoners, and throughout their facilities, the educators are seen as health experts.
A health disparity exists when there is "a significant disparity in the overall rate of disease, including incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality, or survival rates in the population as compared to the health status of the general population," according to the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NHMHD). Often, the most glaring disparity appears within racial or ethnic minority communities that are disproportionately afflicted with diseases or conditions. Other health disparities can occur within geographic areas where incidence of disease or mortality is higher when compared to the general population, such as some communities of disadvantaged rural Whites.
Some examples of known health disparities are:
African Americans experience over twice the rate of infant mortality as compared to Whites, and American Indian/Alaska Natives have nearly twice the rate as Whites.
A variety of biological, environmental, and social factors contribute to health disparities. Socioeconomic status and educational level are closely related factors. Low socioeconomic status is common to many racial and ethnic minority populations and also affects many white underserved populations. Biology has been found to be a factor in some types of health disparity. For example, 'thrifty genes' contributing to obesity have been found to be a factor in the high rate of diabetes in the Pima Indians of Arizona. There may also be differences in rates of drug metabolism with certain minority populations. Unfortunately, most medicines have not been adequately studied in minorities, which may contribute to the problem. Access to and quality of healthcare is likely to be a major factor. Care for minorities is often substandard, language and cultural barriers may exist, and issues with trust and discrimination persist. Lack of insurance is a serious barrier to good healthcare for many groups.
Addressing the issue of health disparities is nothing new to the NLM. Access to MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en español is freely available and includes population-specific information. NLM and the NN/LM continue to work hard to help improve access to the Internet in areas where access is substandard. The NLM has a long history of working with several Historically Black Colleges and Universities nation-wide to identify environmental hazards and increase awareness and use of toxicology information, with an emphasis on underserved communities. The NLM also helps to close the health gap by funding special projects, such as the Colonias Project (http://nnlm.gov/scr/outrch/nlmprojects.htm#colonias), Closing the Gap (http://nnlm.gov/scr/outrch/scrfunded.htm#closing), and SMILE (http://nnlm.gov/scr/outrch/scrfunded.htm#smile) in our Region.
The NN/LM SCR relies on our Network members to help us identify libraries and organizations that could benefit from NN/LM funding, from small Internet connectivity grants to more substantial funding for projects aiming to improve access to health information for specific populations.
Here are a few other things you can do to help close the gap:
National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities
(NCMHD).
http://ncmhd.nih.gov/
Office of Minority Health Resource Center (OMHRC).
http://www.omhrc.gov/omhrc/
Closing the Health Gap.
http://www.healthgap.omhrc.gov
NIH Strategic Plan to Reduce and Ultimately Eliminate Health Disparities. NCMHD. http://ncmhd.nih.gov/our_programs/strategic/volumes.asp
Population Groups Topics. MedlinePlus.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/populationgroups.html
The American Public Health Association has designated April 5-11, 2004 as National Public Health Week. During this week, public health officials celebrate the successes in public health and inform the public about serious health issues affecting Americans.
The theme this year is eliminating health disparities. Each day of the celebration will focus on a specific health disparity topic at the national level:
| Weekday | Topic |
|---|---|
| Monday: | Racial and Ethnic Disparities |
| Tuesday: |
Geographic Disparities: Rural vs. Urban |
| Wednesday: | Health Literacy |
| Thursday: | Environmental Disparities |
| Friday: | Specific Diseases and Disparities (examples include cancer, heart disease, infant mortality, HIV/AIDS and diabetes) |
The National Public Health Week (http://www.apha.org/NPHW/) website has a toolkit and planner's guide to assist anyone interested in conducting activities during this week.
NLM has released the following DOCLINE statistical reports:
For October-December 2003:
1-1A, 1-11A, 1-1AT - Summary DOCLINE Borrower Statistics
1-1B - Summary DOCLINE Lender Statistics
1-2A, 1-22A - Detailed DOCLINE Borrower Statistics
1-2B - Detailed DOCLINE Lender Statistics
2-14 - Resource Library Quarterly Report - Fill Rate
5-1A - Loansome Doc Detailed Lender Statistics
5-1B - Loansome Doc Throughput Report
For January-December 2003:
1-1AY Summary DOCLINE Borrower Statistics
1-1BY Summary DOCLINE Lender Statistics
1-2AY Detailed DOCLINE Borrower Statistics
1-2BY Detailed DOCLINE Lender Statistics
1-8B Ranked List of Serial Titles Requested (January --
December 2003)
Instructions for downloading and printing reports may be found in the DOCLINE Help section 'Requests Reports' or at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/faqdocline.html#reports.
The DOCLINE Team has made a DOCLINE-themed wallpaper available. Customize your Windows desktop with a splash of "DOCLINE blue" and an image of Tugger, the DOCLINE mascot.
Download the DOCLINE wallpaper from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/docline/docline_wallpaper.html.
The Border Epidemiology and Environmental Health Center at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, has recently received the NN/LM SCR's Express Public Health Outreach award. The project, Connecting BIEN Promotion Information to Rural Communities/Colonias of South Central New Mexico Using the Promotora Model , will provide computer training for community health workers known as promotoras. Promotoras serve as health educators and advocates in Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and colonias.
Health promotion and disease prevention intervention services to the target population are minimal and transportation to and from health care facilities for rural residents in this geographic area is difficult. Thus, the promotoras become the major link between the health care professionals and the patients.
Through a network of computers, located at 17 sites, including libraries, public health clinics and community health centers, the project proposes to train promotoras to access and retrieve health promotion and education information from the Internet.
The Information Resources Department, Health Sciences Library, at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital (HMFWH) serves the health information needs of health care professionals, patients, their families, employees, and community members. To meet the growing demand for consumer health information, the HMFWH Library has partnered with a number of public libraries. The first library partnership was set up with Irving Public Library in October 2002.
The goal of this consumer health liaison, called the Planetree Service, is to provide accurate and current health information to community members through partnerships with public libraries. The HMFWH Library became a Planetree affiliate in 1999. Planetree (http://planetree.org/) is a patient-centered health model encompassing the healing of the body, mind, and spirit. With a diverse collection that includes both traditional and integrative medicine, the HMFWH Library can meet the needs of both the health care professional and consumer.
An article titled, "Libraries Provide Users Access to Detailed Health Information" was featured in the Fort Worth Star Telegram in hopes of spreading the word to community members about the Planetree Service. In addition, the HMFWH Planetree staff has participated in a number of community health events including the Hispanic Health Fair and Healthy Women, Healthy Lives. A number of new library partnerships have been established since a Planetree staff member was invited to present information at the North Texas Regional Library System District Meetings in November 2003. The Planetree Service has been established with thirteen public libraries throughout Tarrant, Dallas, Johnson, and Denton counties.
Participating public libraries are encouraged to fax consumer health requests to the HMFWH Planetree Service to ensure a quick turn around time. Medical librarians use a variety of resources to create a customized health information packet. The packets are mailed to the patron's address or to the participating public library upon request. Public library patrons may also contact the Planetree Service directly or visit the Planetree Library to receive assistance from a medical librarian. The computers, printers, and photocopy machine are all free of charge; however, materials may only be checked out to hospital employees and staff.
Please feel free to contact me for more information about the Planetree Service at: 817-882-3191 or KatieLuedecke@texashealth.org.
If 9-1-1 is emergency services, 4-1-1 is directory assistance, and 3-1-1 is city services, what is 2-1-1? 2-1-1 is a national initiative to provide a single phone number for retreiving information about basic human services located in your community.
Faced with a dramatic increase in the number of agencies and help lines, the public is often confused about where to turn for help. From finding shelters for battered women to locating a care facility for an aging parent, 2-1-1 provides callers with information on local health and human services. Information and referrals available through 2-1-1 include food banks, shelters, Medicaid and Medicare assistance, job training, meals on wheels, and after school programs.
On a national level, the prime movers are the United Way and the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems. However, 2-1-1 is a local service, and therefore local agencies and governments bear the responsibility for organizing it. The United States Congress has authorized some funds for the program, but it is primarily funded through the United Way, local and state governments, and foundations.
2-1-1 is organized differently in each state. To find out the 2-1-1 status for your community, go to: http://www.211.org. In the South Central Region, 2-1-1 centers are operating in Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas. Oklahoma has just started a 2-1-1 pilot project in Tulsa, and Arkansas is still in the initial phases of the project. Another way to find local 2-1-1 information is to call your nearest United Way.
As 2-1-1 is a service that provides access to a list of local Community Based Organizations that help the public with their health and family needs, working with your community 2-1-1 group can offer several outreach options. If 2-1-1 does not exist in your community, it could be in your best interest to become involved in the creation of a 2-1-1 entity. By taking part in founding 2-1-1, organizations that you work with will see you as a committed member of their community and will be interested to find out more about what you can provide for them.
The mission of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) (http://www.nia.nih.gov/) is to improve the health and well being of older Americans through research. Since 1974, the National Institute on Aging has led the federal effort on aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people. The NIA has major initiatives in the areas of Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, genetics, HIV/AIDS, special populations, and women's health.
The NIA provides various types of health information for the public. These take the form of publications, websites, and special information centers. Publications include small booklets such as the Re source Directory for Older People. NIA also produces Age Pages , short fact sheets on a variety of health topics, which are available in print or on the Internet.
Another useful resource is the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center (ADEAR) which strives to be a current, comprehensive, and unbiased source of information about Alzheimer's disease. The award winning ADEAR website (http://www.alzheimers.org/) is aimed at the patient and their family as well as their healthcare providers.
Computer servers abound in hospital and library settings. We use them for file management, email, web resources, databases, etc. But do you know how they work? What makes them different from an ordinary computer workstation? How do you learn more about them to better understand their function in your institution?
A server can be defined as a computer on a network that is dedicated to a particular purpose or service and which performs the critical functions necessary for that service. There really is no significant hardware difference between a personal computer workstation and a computer server, except for the capacity and configuration of the machine. While a personal computer is designed for one user or a small number of users, a server is typically designed to handle a larger amount of traffic. Because of this, servers usually have larger microprocessors, larger random access memory (RAM) capacities and more storage memory.
Servers are typically classified by their application or function. For example, an application server might be dedicated to running a particular software application, such as an Oracle database. A web server is dedicated to serving html files to a computer on the Internet that requests these documents. An email server handles the sending and receiving of email for an organization.
Several resources are available to learn more about how servers work, current hardware recommendations, and potential applications.
Servers - Buyers Guide. BusinessWeek Online.
http://businessweek.buyerzone.com/computers/servers/buyers_guide1.html
How to Buy Servers for Your Business. CNET: Business Buying
Guide.
http://www.cnet.com/4520-7401-5073084-2.html?tag=arrow
How Web Servers Work. Howstuffworks.
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/web-server1.htm
Should I Buy a Server? Entrepeneur.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,312638,00.html
Buying Guide: Servers. PC Magazine.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,487990,00.asp
ServerWatch.
http://www.serverwatch.com/
So You Want to Buy a Server? TechSoup.
http://www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm?ArticleId=473&topicid=3
Networks 101: An Introduction to Server Applications.
TechSoup.
http://www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm?articleid=211&topicid=3
Published bimonthly by the
National Network of Libraries of Medicine,
South Central Region
Supported by NLM Contract N01-LM-1-3515
NN/LM SCR Regional Advisory Committee
Chair
Mary Ryan
Network News Editor
Ruicha Mishra