The National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Middle Atlantic Region (MAR), is pleased to announce the following two winners for the MAR Planning Awards.

The purpose of the Planning Awards program is to plan or determine the feasibility for future library improvement and outreach projects. Library improvement includes strengthening the technological capabilities of libraries to respond to changes in the health information environment and to users’ needs, the ability of libraries to share resources, share and build on best practices, identify emerging opportunities and threats to libraries and develop a plan to address them. Outreach includes reaching out to communities that a library does not usually serve, or expand services to communities that are underserved and offering training, document delivery partnerships, collaborative programming and reference and research support. Planning is the foundation for success of any project.

Planning Award recipients:

1. Kathleen M. Miller

Rochester Regional Library Council, Fairport, NY

Project: Getting the (Healthy) Word Out: A Train-the-Trainer Approach for Nurses

2. Andrea Markinson

Medical Research Library, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY

Planning Grant for the “Learn More. Live Healthy!” Consumer Health Project

The Middle Atlantic Region (MAR) of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) announces the availability of three new types of awards that support access to health information for libraries, consumers, health professionals and in particular reaching underserved populations; enhance the capacity of libraries to share resources, strengthen network member librarians’ skills in the use of NLM databases and increase the visibility of the NN/LM and NLM products and services:

Electronic Access/Document Delivery Access to Health Information Awards - Currently Available
For Full Network members to encourage and facilitate access to the biomedical literature by unaffiliated health professionals, including the use of Loansome Doc, development of a web portal, and establishment of partnerships between libraries and unaffiliated health professionals or health professions groups. Three awards up to $10,000 each are available. Deadline is December 15, 2008.

Outreach Training Awards - Currently Available
For Full and Affiliate Network members to train and promote awareness of the products and services of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and NN/LM. Two awards up to $10,000 each are available. Deadline is December 15, 2008.

Presentation/Professional Development Awards - Currently Available
For Full and Affiliate Network members to present on library and information services at a meeting of health professionals. Two awards up to $2500 each are available. Deadline is ongoing.

This project helps the library staff utilize our online resources more efficiently and in so doing improve customer services.

The library staff has been working very hard this past year to advance library services to our patrons. Our library has experienced an increase in users and especially the number of nurses using the library, as well as administration, beyond the usual group of clinical staff, residents and medical students. We have succeeded in updating and expanding library computer access for our patrons thanks to the NN/LM technology grant last year; we have increased our library access to knowledge-based databases; extended library hours; updated our print/electronic book collection; all of these innovations to improve library services. As a result of our efforts library user ship has increased; with this increase, demand for electronic dissemination of knowledge –based literature has also increased. During this past year we have experienced a dramatic rise in Interlibrary Loan requests due to a greater number of literature searches being done by our patrons as well as searches being done by library staff for our patrons. We also are experiencing a rise as a Docline lender. The dissemination of literature, to our patrons as well as to Docline libraries, by electronic means scanning, emailing and faxing has risen. All library work is done online, cataloging, serial control, circulation, literature searching and document retrieval, in addition to hospital systems, purchasing, environmental/engineering requests and e-mail.

We came to the realization that the staff did not have computer equipment equivalent to the task at hand. Our staff experienced a good deal of frustration waiting for a PDF file to download or have the screen freeze in the middle of a search. It was at this point I knew we had to upgrade our equipment and began the application process for the NN/LM technology grant. In starting this project we sought recommendations from our HIS department for equipment that will best serve our needs as well as discussions with administration to financially support our project beyond the grant to cover all our costs. The HIS dept. presented us with a description/quotation for computer, printer and fax upgrades, which we used in out grant application.

The awarding of the NN/LM grant this year enabled us to purchase, for the library staff, faster, higher tech computers, printers and a new fax machine in order to better acquire and disseminate the information requested by our patrons/customers. The upgrade put two new PC’s at the front desk that can handle all tasks more efficiently, the library staff PC’s are networked in order to accommodate any work overflow. So while one PC may be occupied with Docline, document retrieval, scanning and dissemination, the other is available for circulation, serial control and our online catalog. All library computers have access to our online browse catalog. Our access and use of current systems has improved with better, faster computers. The color printer is being used to provide library promotional information, regarding new resources and services as they become available to our patrons. Through observation, our time spent waiting for downloads has decreased, as has the frustration of staff. We will continue to monitor our staff workflow.

Thank you to NN/LM for supporting our library efforts.

Laraine Tursi, Director

Harold Fink Memorial Hospital

Coney Island Hospital

October 7, 2008

As part of an award from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Northland Public Library is offering a free training session on how to locate and recognize reliable health information on the Internet.  Please note, computer skills are not necessary.

The training will include:

1-  How to evaluate health information on the Internet.

2-  Reliable sources of online health information in the following categories:

• Disease
• Drugs
• Medical Tests
• Treatments
• Local Health Information
• Directories/Referrals
• What to expect from your Public Library

If you are interested in having this training at your facility, please call us at 412-366-8100.  Ask for Susan Shea or Mary Lee Resnick or email to : sheas@einetwork.net or resnickm@einetowrk.net

Northland Public Library- Susan Shea, Pittsburgh, PA

The Schaffer Library of Health Sciences used the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region Small Project Grant Award to fund the purchase of Adobe Captivate and Flash software. These products were used to create interactive web-based tutorials for third year medical students in the Family Medicine Clerkship.

Three tutorials demonstrate how students must participate in the editorial process of a daily news service, Physician’s First Watch. Each student is required to submit one newsworthy pitch and sign up for PFW conference calls. A fourth tutorial teaches students how to use Sakai’s wiki tool and the fifth tutorial teaches RRS technology.

Enid Geyer, MLS, MBA, AHIP

Associate Dean for Information Resources and Technology

Dartmouth College, Hanover NH

July 28^th-30^th, 2008

Small Project Award Report

Barbara S. Reich

Samuel and Sandra Hekemian Medical Library

Hackensack University Medical Center

Supporting Clinical Care: An Institute in Evidence-Based Practice for Medical Librarians was an intensive two and a half day program held at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire in late July of this year. It was my hope that by attending this course, I would acquire increased skills in supporting and teaching EBCP. This, in turn, would allow me to better teach residents, medical students, and nurses at all levels the skills involved in EBCP. Ultimately, these groups will learn to use PubMed and other sources of medical information more effectively and efficiently.

Twenty-four health sciences librarians, myself included, from various institutions throughout the United States and Canada were introduced to the concepts and practice of Evidence-Based Health Care through interactive lectures, small group discussion, and hands-on, case-based activities. A few hours each day were spent with the entire group together, being introduced to various concepts in a more-or-less lecture-based format. The vast majority of the time we were divided into smaller groups of eight participants and two instructors where we put the concepts into practice by using the PICO format to put together an answerable question and devise a search strategy, working with some of the basic statistical concepts, and reading and critically appraising various articles. At the end of the program, all participants agreed that the Institute was immensely successful, with the caveat being that it was very intense, and a three to four day course would be ideal.

The intended evaluation of this activity was proposed to be twofold: attainment of immediate goals will be assessed via my increased knowledge and skills in EBCP, and increased comfort in preparing and teaching EBCP both formally and informally. Long term goals will be assessed by written evaluations of formal EBCP classes at HUMC, and informally by increased use and recognition of HUMC Medical Librarians as experts in various aspects of EBCP.

This program was very successful. Certainly, my knowledge and skills were vastly increased, and my comfort level along with them. In particular, the methods and format for Critical Appraisal that were introduced vastly demystified this process for me – so much so that I am now actually excited by it rather than dreading it. Our Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) will be benefiting from this as well. Directly due to my participation in this program, this fall we are beginning an ongoing Critical Appraisal Workshop with the APN group here at the hospital. Our goal through this ongoing series of workshops is to communicate this excitement and sense of demystification to this group so that they, in turn, can do the same with the staff nurses throughout the hospital. I am sure this will be the first of many projects to be engendered through my participation in this course.

The funds from this award were used to purchase a HP Color LaserJet 3600dn printer for the Library Services department.  The Medical Librarian created a variety of materials that were distributed in waiting rooms, posted on public bulletin boards and placed in display cases.

The primary goal of this project was to creatively and effectively reach more Library patrons with reliable health resources and information.  The unique and improved color printouts have already been effective in reinforcing the library’s objectives, highlighting its location within the building and promoting information about health literacy initiatives and programs.

Specifically, during the month of June, The Children’s Institute sponsored an intensive one month health literacy training initiative.  Color posters and printouts were instrumental in encouraging staff participation and reinforcing presentation topics and issues.

With the launch of the school year in early September, the library has seen more patients, teachers and students using the library for homework assistance, research queries and informal health literacy training.  The color printer is often used for printing assignments and reports.

Karen Liljequist- The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh

Peter Cole, library director at St. Michael’s Medical Center, and three other members of the SMMC Evidence-Based Practice Committee presented their poster “Nurse Navigator: Impacting Life and Death” at the 15^th National Evidence Based Practice Conference on April 25^th in Coralville, IA. Their poster aimed to raise awareness – not only of the nurse navigator program at St. Michael’s Connie Dwyer Breast Center, but of the profound impact the role plays in patient care. Nurse educators Roxana Gonzalez, RN, CCRN, and Kathryn Kozub, RN, along with Breast Center and Blood Research Institute director Terri Pietsch, MSN, RN, CTR, co-authored the abstract with the vision of expanding the nurse navigator’s role at SMMC. Currently, the nurse navigator, after consulting with the breast center’s interdisciplinary team, meets with newly diagnosed cancer patients without insurance or the means to strategize and develop of plan of care. From there, the journey of the navigator and the patient continues; throughout the course of treatment, the navigator provides guidance and a “nurses touch” to ensure understanding, compliance, quality care, improved outcomes, long term follow-up, and patient satisfaction (the navigator sees to it that all underinsured breast cancer patients receive diagnostic testing, procedures, and care of the highest quality through local and national funding). The team believes the role could be expanded to Oncology Nurse Navigator, and utilize the nurse as a mentor to assist in establishing competencies for other nurse navigators. The team also believes that the Interdisciplinary Oncology team could implement a Literature Attached to Chart (LATCH) program, which would include mandate each patient’s chart contains results from a literature search performed by the librarian, specifically tailored to each patient. In addition, a pathfinder of consumer health resources would be inserted into the patient’s file, along with information on local, state, and national support programs that are available to the individual.

The amount of support the conference displayed for health information professionals was overwhelming: librarians were referred to as “information sources;” there were calls for “unit-based informationists;” and several presenters acknowledged the importance of medical librarians to their research. The conference’s theme was “Reflections on the past, directions for the future: Implications for research and clinical practice.” With sessions entitled “Evolution in Resources: a clinician’s perspective” and “Advanced Search Strategies for Finding a Cost Benefit for EBP Projects,” it was made abundantly clear that information professionals – and the services they provide – are essential to the annals, present, and future of evidence-based practice.

Peter received a National Network of Libraries of Medicine – Middle Atlantic Region Small Projects Award grant to assist with travel expenses to the conference

Because of the upcoming Labor Day weekend, the deadline to submit your application for a MAR Health Literacy Award (new or existing project) has been extended to September 2.

Information on the awards, as well as online application forms, are available here:

http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/

This is a reminder that applications are due by Friday, August 1, 2008 for three MAR Awards:

EFTS Awards: http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/efts.html

Planning Awards: http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/planning.html

Technology Awareness Conference Award: http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/techawareness.html