I will be at the Medical Library Association Conference through Friday May 22. Things will be quiet on the blog, though I do hope to find time to post while I’m at this meeting.

Read the Spring 2009 issue of the NIH MedlinePlus Magazine
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/spring09/toc.html

If you would like to receive this magazine email whenever a new issue is published (4 times per year), subscribe here. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/subscribe.html

• Special Section: Colorectal Cancer
• Orthopedic Health
• Headaches and Migraines
• Feature: Hepatitis
• Then & Now: Research Pays Off for All Americans / Darwin, DNA, and The Genome

http://nihseniorhealth.gov/medicare/toc.html
If you’re caring for an older friend or family member, you’ve probably had questions about Medicare, the federal health insurance program for adults 65 and older and people under age 65 with disabilities. While you may know that Medicare helps pay for medical and prescription drug costs, you may want to become more familiar with the Medicare benefits and resources available to your friend or loved one. An easy-to-read overview, “Medicare Basics for Caregivers,” is now available at NIHSeniorHealth.gov, the Web site for older adults from the National Institutes of Health. This brief, yet comprehensive introduction to Medicare gives caregivers the basics and helps them find answers to their questions. The complete NIH News Release is available online at: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2009/nia-13.htm

The Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights issued a statement addressing Civil Rights in Response to the
H1N1 Influenza. http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/h1n1_response.php

California’s Emergency Preparedness Efforts for Culturally Diverse Communities: Status, Challenges and Directions for the Future
http://tinyurl.com/pdznan
prepared by the Center for Health Equality at the Drexel University School of Public Health, with joint support from The California Endowment and the HHS Office of Minority Health. [from Diversity Preparedness http://www.diversitypreparedness.org]

Women at Risk: Why Many Women Are Forgoing Needed Health Care
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/Issue-Briefs/2009/May/Women-at-Risk.aspx
This study, by Commonwealth Fund researchers Sheila Rustgi, Michelle Doty, Ph.D., and Sara Collins, Ph.D., reveals that seven of 10 working-age women have no health insurance coverage or inadequate coverage, medical bill or debt problems, or problems getting needed health care because of cost.[posted on The Commonwealth Fund]

New Study Finds Fewer Families Can Afford Health Insurance
http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2009/faminspr.htm
The majority of uninsured American families who are not covered by group health insurance through an employer cannot afford to buy health insurance, according to a new study by HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). [AHRQ updates email]

Key Role of Sole Community Pharmacists in Their Local Healthcare Delivery Systems
http://www.shepscenter.unc.edu/research_programs/rural_program/pubs/finding_brief/FB88.pdf
A new publication is available from the North Carolina Rural Health Research & Policy Analysis Center that examines the role in their community of independent pharmacists whose store is located at least 10 miles from the next closest retail pharmacy.

2nd International Day for Sharing Life Stories
http://newroutes.org
May 16. This year’s theme is Journey for Justice - Migration and Refugees. Here at New Routes we believe in the power of first-voice stories to make connections among all of us who live in the United States–immigrants and non-immigrants, alike. View digital stories, listen to radionovelas, read about the lives of our New Routes leaders

http://www.pgsi.com/Products/Resources/Webinars/Webinar7.aspx
Thursday, May 14, 2009
1:00 pm EST/10:00 am PST
Providing language access to health care is more than just a good idea – it is required.  This webinar, sponsored by Polyglot Systems, will explore policy and accreditation standards related to language access. You will hear what is required under current law, how enforcement of Title VI and the ADA is likely to change under the Obama administration, what Joint Commission surveyors look for regarding language services, and how the new CLAS standards being developed could impact your organization.

Preventive Interventions to Support Latina Teens
http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=42528
The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools is sponsoring a webinar May 21, 2009, to help shed light on the rising trend of suicides among Latina teens. The webinar, led by Luis H. Zayas, Ph.D., director of the Center for Latino Family Research at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, will examine the high rate of suicide attempts by adolescent Latinas in the United States and preventive interventions. This webinar is sponsored by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  [posted on RWJF Content Alerts]

Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Time: 1:00 PM Eastern Time
To register visit: http://www.ahrq.gov/about/chpheweb.htm

Children are not just small adults; their different medical needs make it essential for health care facilities to prepare for child victims of public health emergencies. Also, children spend most of their waking hours away from their parents in school. Schools, therefore, must assure that children have appropriate care and proper interventions in a public health emergency. Hospital and school disaster response plans should account for children as a priority population.

To showcase resources that can support emergency preparedness planning for children, AHRQ will host a Webcast, Planning and Preparedness for Children’s Needs in Public Health Emergencies. This event will feature a panel discussion of preparedness initiatives and insights from pediatric emergency preparedness planners. During the Webcast, participants will learn about some of AHRQ’s resources for emergency preparedness involving children, including:

* School-Based Emergency Preparedness: A National Analysis and Recommended Protocol.
* Pediatric Hospital Surge Capacity in Public Health Emergencies.

American Library Association News Release
http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/may2009/orsbandwith.cfm
May 5, 2009
(CHICAGO) With growing demand for public Internet services and Wi-fi access, nearly 60 percent of U.S. public libraries report Internet connection speeds are insufficient to meet patron demand at some point in the day, according to the 2008-2009 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study (PLFTAS).

“As more and more people turn to their public libraries for critical access to online information and services, the bandwidth needed to provide these services increases rapidly,” said American Library Association (ALA) President Jim Rettig. “Just over 70 percent of libraries report they are the only source of free access to computers and the Internet in their communities. As the nation begins to invest in high-speed broadband build-out, it is crucial that that investment include public libraries.”

CVS Caremark Charitable Trust Offers Grants to Help Children With Disabilities and the Uninsured
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=251400027
Grants will be awarded to nonprofits serving people under the age of 21 with disabilities and healthcare organizations working to improve the well-being of uninsured individuals.

Youth Service America Announces New Awards Program for Young Female Social Entrepreneurs
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=251400020
The Gladys Marinelli Coccia Awards will recognize two female social entrepreneurs between the ages of 14 and 17 with grants of $2,000 plus opportunities to participate in Youth Service Institute initiatives

Disney Minnie Grants Available to Fund Children’s Community Improvement Efforts
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=251400022
Grants of $500 each will be awarded to children between the ages of 5 and 14, or the organizations that engage them, to implement youth-led service projects in their communities.
[posted on PND RFP Bulletin (May 8, 2009)]

Hesperian (http://hesperian.org/ And in Spanish http://espanol.hesperian.org/) is a non-profit publisher of books and newsletters for community-based health care. Simply written and heavily illustrated, Hesperian books are designed so that people with little formal education can understand, apply and share health information. Publications include “Helping Health Workers Learn: A book of methods, aids, and ideas for instructors at the village level” Available in Spanish: “Aprendiendo a promover la salud” and “When There is No Doctor: A village health care handbook” Available in Spanish: “Donde no hay doctor”